Sambists celebrate World Environment Day

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated annually on June 5 and encourages awareness and action to protect the environment. It is supported by many non-governmental organizations, businesses, and government entities and represents the primary United Nations outreach day for the environment.

It was proclaimed at the 27th session of the UN General Assembly on December 15, 1972. The date of the conduct was chosen on June 5 - the day of the start of the Stockholm Conference on the problems of the environment of the environment in 1972.

The events within the framework of the day, held annually since 1973 under the leadership of the UN Environmental Program (UNUP), have become the most significant global environmental platform, where millions of people worldwide take part in protecting the planet. Each year, the subject and motto are determined, and the venue for the leading international events is selected. In 1974, World Environment Day was celebrated for the first time under the theme - "Only One Land."

Fifty years after, the 2024 edition of World Environment Day will focus on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience under the slogan "Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration" as the year marks the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40 per cent of the planet's land is degraded, directly affecting half of the world's population. The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 per cent since 2000 – a stark reminder that without urgent action, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world's population by 2050.

Land restoration is a key pillar of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems worldwide, which is critical to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which were created and adopted by all United Nations members in 2015 as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Same year, the Internationals SAMBO Federation led by the FIAS President, Vasily Shestakov, stated: “Sustainability initiative will now be a major part of our events. We realise that for every action taken for the improvement and development of the sport, we need to make sure that we consider our present and future athletes and continue the legacy of SAMBO. This sustainability initiative will now be a major part of our events, making SAMBO a sustainable and future Olympic sport”.

Since that time the FIAS striving to implement responsible, social and environmental approach to full circle of organisational operation from day-to day task to the major events, without forgetting launching supporting documents, polices, reports, work in tight collaboration with other sports organisations and reverential NGO’s for achieving common goals for the future.

The internationals SAMBO Federation encourage everyone to learn more and do feasible steps toward not only self-defencing, but grow forests, revive water sources, and bring back soils. Let’s be a part of the generation that can make peace with land!

To learn more, please visit the World Environment Day website, which is accessible in English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Suhaily, Portugal, Russian and Chinese languages.