The sixth World Bee Day event hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome underscored the need to protect bees and other pollinators that are key to ensuring agricultural production, food security, ecosystem restoration and the overall health of the planet. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu called for pollinator-friendly practices such as crop rotation, reduced use of pesticides and pollinator habitat restoration.

President of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar highlighted the contribution of World Bee Day to raising awareness of the importance of bees and to promoting international cooperation for their protection. She particularly stressed their vital role in the context of food security and biodiversity: "Pollinators are our key allies in tackling the world's major challenges. The future of our planet as we know it depends on us developing a harmonious relationship with pollinators.”

An exhibition of beekeeping tools was held in the FAO atrium to mark the occasion, and Slovenia offered seeds of pollinator-friendly plants to visitors, urging them to take direct action to protect pollinators.

Ahead of tomorrow's World Bee Day (20 May), Slovenian diplomatic missions and consular posts are working with local partners on a number of projects around the world. Slovenia is also organising a debate on the importance of pollinators for social and environmental resilience at the UN Headquarters in New York on 22 May 2023, intended to showcase innovative pollinator projects being undertaken in crisis areas together with partners. You are invited to join online from 19.15 to 20.30 here.