To commemorate the World Environment Day (WED) and to raise awareness on significance of environmental protection for sustainable development of countries and well-being of the population, the State Committee for Nature Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan with support from the United Nations Development Programme in Uzbekistan, United Nations Information Office in Uzbekistan are organizing an Eco-Week between 31 May - 5 June, 2012.

The Eco-Week is aimed at raising awareness of the general public about the significant role that healthy environment can pay in socio-economic development of a country and to bring greater visibility to large-scale environmental protection activities, as well as activities for improving the environmental conditions in Uzbekistan.

Considering that Year 2012 has been declared as a “Year of a Family” and understanding the role of youth and rural development in sustainability of the country, organizers tried to intensively involve youth and regional community in EcoWeek activities this year. The EcoWeek 2012 agenda includes a wide range of activities around Uzbekistan, including Youth Conferences on Sustainable Development in Tashkent and Nukus, EcoForum for Enterprises “Towards a Green Economy”, ecological contests and competitions for youth, garbage collection campaign, eco campaign in public transport and many more (according to the Agenda).

Eco-Week was launched on 31 May 2012 during the Opening ceremony and attended by Members of the Senate and the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, ministries and public organizations, scientific centers, members of the diplomatic corps, international organizations and journalists attended the event.

Eco-Week opening ceremony also included demonstration of environmental films and exhibition of achievements of environmental projects, implemented in Uzbekistan.

Mr. Kh. Razzakov - Head of the Oliy Majlis Senate’s Committee on agricultural, water and environmental issues, Mr. N. Umarov, Chairman of the State Committee for Nature Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mr. Z. Nazirov – Deputy Director, Scientific Research Institute of the Center for Hydrometeorological services under the Cabinet of Ministers, as well as Mr. Stefan Liller, UNDP Officer in Charge addressed the participants with welcoming speeches.

As mentioned by presenters, the World Environment Day was celebrated every year to raise awareness on significance of environmental protection for sustainable development of countries and well-being of the population. The WED was announced as a holiday according to the resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1972 based on the results of the Stockholm Conference on environmental issues. In recent decades, there is an ever increasing understanding that the issues of environmental protection are inevitable for the socio-economic development of the society. As any human activity is linked with production and consumption, on the one hand, it brings about an increase in the demand for natural resources, and on the other, to an environmental deterioration. Therefore, numerous environmental events are conducted across the world on this day in order to promote environmental protection issues, which are closely linked to issues of sustainable production and consumption.

In recognition of importance of energy access for sustainable development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All (IYSEA). The 2012 theme for WED is “Green Economy: Does it include you?”

Embodying this concept, the WED logo reflects the Green Economy through key ten high greening potential sectors: renewables (represented by the solar panel and windmill), agriculture, buildings, transport, cities, forests and the others, not symbolically represented, but by no means any less important – waste, industries, tourism and fisheries.

It is expected that activities conducted within Eco-Week 2012 would further promote and contribute to raising awareness of the general public about the significant role that healthy environment can pay in socio-economic development of a country and to bring greater visibility to large-scale environmental protection activities in Uzbekistan, as well as development of “green economy” in the country through introduction of energy and resource saving technologies, using renewables and etc.