World Environment Day is observed annually on 5 June, and in 2025, the theme is "Overcoming Plastic Pollution." The campaign #BeatPlasticPollution sheds light on the escalating environmental threat posed by plastic waste and calls for collective, coordinated action. It encourages individuals, institutions, and governments to embrace sustainable practices aimed at reducing plastic consumption and promoting recycling efforts.
Plastic pollution is among the priority environmental issues closely followed by the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, through the Department of Environmental and Meteorological Affairs/Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment. This effort is reinforced by the Arab Negotiating Team on Plastic Pollution, established in 2024, which works to coordinate Arab positions in the ongoing negotiations within the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee tasked with developing a legally binding international instrument to address plastic pollution.
World Environment Day was established pursuant to a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 15 December 1972, at the conclusion of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. The resolution designated 5 June as World Environment Day to raise global awareness of environmental challenges, mobilise action by governments and civil society, and shed light on critical issues such as pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable patterns of production and consumption.
Ambassador Dr. Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Maliki, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Economic Affairs Sector, said that plastic pollution constitutes a pressing environmental challenge requiring intensified regional and international cooperation to mitigate its adverse effects on ecosystems and public health. He further noted that Arab countries, endowed with substantial natural and human capital, are well-positioned to play a leading role in devising and adopting innovative and sustainable solutions to this global issue.
On this occasion, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States affirms that the commemoration of World Environment Day offers a vital opportunity to renew the collective commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development, thereby ensuring a safe, healthy, and prosperous future for the coming generations across the Arab region.
