The International Day for Biological Diversity is an important environmental date proclaimed by the UN in 1994, celebrated each year on May 22, aims to increase understanding of biodiversity issues, and encourage people to work for biodiversity conservation.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the “Earth Summit”, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. A series of significant protocols were adopted and signed in the conference, included the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention received 150 signatures then. In 1994, the first meeting of the Parties to the Convention was held in the Bahamas, and December 29 (the date of entry into force of the Convention) was designated The International Day for Biological Diversity. Later in 2001, the UN General Assembly decided to move the date to May 22, which commemorates the adoption of the convention. Thus this date becomes today’s International Day for Biological Diversity.

International Day for Biodiversity 2023 obviously brings with it a renewed purpose. In December, 2022, the historical “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” was adopted in the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity , which in turn protects biodiversity and boosts sustainable development. The framework includes four overarching goals to be achieved by 2050: to halt human-induced species extinction, to maintain functions and services of ecosystems, equitable sharing of benefits from utilization of genetic resources, and policy implementation and closing finance gap. Also there are 23 action-oriented targets to be achieved by 2030: at least 30 percent conservation of land and sea, at least 30 percent restoration of degraded ecosystems, halving the introduction of invasive species and so on. To mark and celebrate this incredible achievement, the theme of this year is: “From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity." It focuses on the urgency of “execution”, and lists 22 actions for biodiversity that respond to the 23 adopted targets of the Framework. As personal actions, for example, you can plant trees, save energy, reuse and upcycle, etc. There are also 22 actions for cities or businesses to adopt, let’s do them together!