Each year the United Nations via the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) marks June 5th as World Environment Day (WED).  Every year a different theme is highlighted and a different country acts as host to the celebrations.

It should be noted that 2014 is the 20th Anniversary of the ground-breaking United Nations Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) which was hosted in Barbados in 1994.  The United Nations by virtue of a United Nations General Assembly Resolution has proclaimed 2014 as the International Year of SIDS.  Additionally in September 2014, Samoa will be hosting the third International Conference on Small Island Developing States.

In line with this international momentum for SIDS, UNEP has selected Barbados as host country for this year’s World Environment Day Celebrations with this year’s theme being “Raise Your Voice …not the Sea Level”.

The Government of Barbados has planned a week of activities, commencing on June 1st, to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day.  To date there has been a national Church Service attended by the Governor General and a nation-wide tree planting exercise. 

The official launch will take place on Thursday 5th June 2014 at Independence Square, Bridgetown, Barbados.  Prime Minister the Right Honourable Freundel Stuart will deliver feature remarks.  The gathering will also be addressed by His Excellency Achim Steiner, United Nations Under- Secretary General and Executive Director UNEP, as well as The Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Chairman of CARICOM and Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary- General CARICOM Secretariat, will also be in attendance.

The website for World Environment Day activities is http://www.unep.org/wed/
The website is updated daily highlighting celebrations that are taking place internationally.