Important Days and Years Questions

The World Environment Day (WED) is observed every year on June 5 to raise awareness about forests and wider issues of environmental protection. The 2017 theme is ‘Connecting People to Nature’. It implores us to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and to take forward the call to protect the Earth that we share. The host country for the WED 2017 is Canada, where the official celebrations take place.

The United Nations General Assembly designated 29 May as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. The day has two purposes: To honour the memory of the UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. To pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN Peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage. The theme for the 2017 International Day of UN Peacekeepers is “Investing in Peace Around the World“.

The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) is observed every year on May 22 to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The 2017 theme “Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism” provides an opportunity to raise awareness and action towards the important contribution of sustainable tourism both to economic growth and to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is observed every year on May 17 to mark the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention (ITC) and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The purpose of the day is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide. The 2017 theme “Big Data for Big Impact” focuses on the power of Big Data for development and aims to explore how to turn imperfect, complex, often unstructured data into actionable information in a development context.

15 May. Theme of International Day of Family 2017 is “Families, education and well-being”.

The World Thalassaemia Day (WTD) is observed every year on May 8 to spread awareness about this deadly disease and the importance of blood donation and how it helps the millions of people suffering from Thalassemia worldwide. Thalassemia is genetic blood disorders characterised by reduction in the synthesis or absence of haemoglobin in the body. According to a WHO report, more than 90% patients with thalassaemia in western countries lead a normal life, whereas in India, roughly half of all patients die before reaching adulthood. Approx 3.9% of India’s population is a carrier for thalassemia. The 2017 theme ‘Together for Humanity’ highlights the need for unity and the efforts that are required to fight this fatal disease.

International Firefighters' Day (IFFD) is observed on May 4. It was instituted after proposal emailed out across the world on January 4, 1999 due to the deaths of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a bushfire in Australia.