Communication, Education & Public Awareness

International Day for Biological Diversity - 22 May 2004

Biodiversity: Food, Water and Health for All

Hamdallah Zedan, Executive Secretary of the CBD notified all Parties on 18 December, 2003 of the theme for International Biodiversity Day 2004: Biodiversity: Food, Water and Health for all, noting that it was chosen to reflect the CBD's firm commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Mr. Zedan also underlined the importance of marking IBD in this 10th anniversary year of the entry into force of the Convention and the entry into force of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on 11 September 2003.

Photo Credits

The poster for International Biological Diversity Day 2004 was conceived and created by members of the Secretariat staff. The portrayal of the three-leaf CBD logo rooted in the globe, underscores that Biodiversity’s goods and ecological services nourish all life on the planet.

Each leaf of the CBD logo illustrates an element of the 2004 theme of “Biodiversity: Water, food and health for all” underlining biodiversity’s importance in ensuring food security and adequate supplies of water, and in protecting the wide array of traditional medicines and modern pharmaceuticals that are based on the world’s biological riches.

Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods and ecological services that constitute the source of life for all. The celebration each year of International Day for Biological Diversity is an occasion to reflect on our responsibility to safeguard this precious heritage for future generations.

The Secretariat encourages the Parties and stakeholders to reach out to young people by assisting teachers to develop biodiversity information and activity programs for students of all ages, by involving them in local celebrations of International Biological Diversity Day, and by publicly recognizing outstanding biodiversity-related school projects.

  1. What is the importance of celebrating a Day of International Biological Diversity?
  2. How should International Biological Diversity Day be celebrated?
  3. Suggested activity at the international level
  4. Suggested activities to mark International Biological Diversity Day at the national or local level

1. What is the importance of celebrating a Day of International Biological Diversity?

While awareness of Biodiversity issues, should never be far from our thoughts, the fact of concentrating public awareness efforts on a single date, enables the CBD to focus attention on biodiversity issues and the goals of the Convention around the world at a single time.