World Bee Day 2024 celebration event in Geneva on the theme: Bee Engaged with Youth
Background Information
On 20 December 2017, the UN General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution, proclaiming 20 May as World Bee Day. The proclamation was a result of cooperation between the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association, the Republic of Slovenia and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the widespread European and wider international support of countries and organisations, including Apimondia (International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations).
The date of the World Bee Day was selected as a birthday of the great bee expert from the 18th century, Anton Janša. Janša was the first bee-keeping teacher in the court of the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa. By introducing bee-keeping methods that were successfully used by Carniolan bee-keepers, he caused a real revolution in bee-keeping of the time.
The main purpose of World Bee Day is to raise awareness among the international public about the importance of bees and other pollinators for humanity in the light of food security, the global elimination of hunger, and care for the environment and biodiversity.
World Bee Day theme in 2024
The World Bee Day theme in 2024 "Bee Engaged with Youth", highlights the importance of involving young people in beekeeping and pollinator conservation efforts, recognizing them as the future stewards of our environment. It emphasizes global cooperation to engage young individuals in protecting these vital species. By doing so, we safeguard food security, preserve agricultural livelihoods, and combat biodiversity loss.
World Bee Day 2024 Celebration Event in Geneva
For the third consecutive time this year, the International Geneva will celebrate these hard-working pollinators and the role of youth behind them. This World Bee Day celebration in Geneva will provide a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing, fostering intergenerational exchange and inspiring action towards a more sustainable future for bees and other pollinators.
On the occasion of the World Bee Day 2024, the co-organizers, the Permanent Missions of Slovenia and Switzerland and the UN (UNOG) and FAO Offices in Geneva, with sponsorship of the Permanent Mission of Kenya, are pleased to invite you to join us for the celebration event Bee Engaged with Youth. The presentations and interactive activity will be followed by a honey tasting. The event will take place in-person only.
World Bee Day 2024 Celebration Event in Geneva Tentative Agenda:
10.00-10.05 │ Welcome Remarks by Ms Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva
10.05 – 10.40 │ Technical Presentations
Project by Slovenia and Kenya: Building communities' resilience to climate change in Kenya through beekeeping.
(Introduction by Ms Anita Pipan, Ambassador / Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, and Mr James Ndirangu Waweru, Ambassador /Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, followed by a short documentary)
Project by FAO: From Honeycombs to Green Jobs: Empowering Zimbabwe's Rural Youth through beekeeping.
(Introduction by Mr Dominique Burgeon, FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations in Geneva, followed by a short documentary)
Projection by Switzerland: Indigenous people harvesting wild honey and moving on to beekeeping.
(Introduction by Ms Anna Ifkovits Horner, Ambassador/ Deputy Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, followed by a short documentary)
10.40-10.55 │ Interactive Activity
Interactive demonstration of honey production processing with Mr Cédric Périat, Founder of the Association Printemps d'Abeilles: from honeycombs to honey as we know it.
10.55-11.10 │Melliferous flowers planting
Simbolic planting of melliferous and bee-friendly flowers in front of the building H for biodiversity and new harvesting grounds for UNOG bees.
11.10-11.30 │ Honey Tasting & Networking Buffet
Honey produced by mine and UXO survivors from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Beekeeping as a tool in empowerment of mine victims” was implemented by Organization of Amputees UDAS in partnership with ITF, Beekeeping Academy of Slovenia and Slovenia’s Development Aid.
Learn more about Bees and the World Bee Day 2024 celebrations globally here.
More details: Adriano.timossi@fao.org
