June 8: World Oceans Day

The World Oceans Day is being observed every year on 8th June to raise global awareness of current challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans. The day also seeks to provide unique opportunity to honour, protect, and conserve the world’s oceans. The focus of World Oceans Day 2018 is on ‘Peventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean’. It also coincided with theme of World Environment Day 2018-‘Beat Plastic Pollution’.

Background

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had designated 8 June as the World Oceans Day in 2008 by passing its resolution 63/111. Prior to it was unofficially celebrated every 8 June. In 1992, Canada had prosed celebration of this day at Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since 2003, the day has been coordinated by The Ocean Project.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2018