World Bee Day 2025: Bees for Biodiversity

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Conservatory and Botanical Garden of the City of Geneva, the Permanent Mission of Slovenia, Permanent Mission of Ethiopia, Permanent Mission of Switzerland, and the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) invite you to a special in-person celebration marking World Bee Day 2025 and the International Day for Biological Diversity on Tuesday, 20 May 2025, from 15:00 to 16:30 at the Amarante Restaurant, Conservatory and Botanical Garden of the City of Geneva.

This event aims to raise awareness around this year’s global theme, “Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all,” which highlights the critical role bees and other pollinators play in sustaining agrifood systems and maintaining the health of our planet’s ecosystems. On the occasion of the 7th World Bee Day, International Geneva will engage both the international and local public to emphasize the importance of bees and other pollinators in securing food systems, eliminating global hunger, and protecting biodiversity and the environment.

This year’s celebration is especially significant, as it also marks the 80th anniversary of the establishment of FAO. Participants will enjoy inspiring stories of beekeeping in Eastern Africa, expert insights and engaging demonstrations by local beekeepers. The programme will be followed by a honey tasting and appetizers, offering a chance to network with actors from International Geneva. The event is organized with the support of the Geneva Environment Network.

Expected outcomes:

Engage with International Geneva and the local public on the importance of bees and biodiversity preservation.
Forge new partnerships for a continued engagement with local actors to boost the efforts to promote the critically important value of bees among local actors, within International Geneva, and across Switzerland.
Foster cooperation on beekeeping and pollination, ensuring that policies and practices keep pace with evolving challenges and opportunities.

We warmly invite you to join us in celebrating World Bee Day and learning about the important value and vital role of bees and other pollinators in sustaining food security and preserving biodiversity.

To ensure the logistical arrangements, kindly complete the registration form. For details on how to reach the venue, please refer to the logistical note.

For any questions or inquiries, please contact: LOG-Communication@fao.org

Agenda

15:00 - 15:01	Brief Opening Remarks
	Tina Hočevar, Environmental counsellor, Permanent Mission of Slovenia in Geneva Sebastian Chavez, FAO Youth Specialist and World Food Forum Global Youth Action Initiative Focal Point
15:02 –15:15	World Bee Day 2025 Opening: Pollinators of Progress - Building a Sustainable Future
	Welcome remarks by Nicola Schoenenberger, Director, Conservatory and Botanical Garden of the City of Geneva (2-3 min) Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva (2-3 min) H.E. Ms. Anita Pipan, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Slovenia in Geneva (2-3 min) H.E. Julien Thöni, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of Switzerland in Geneva (2-3 min) Mr. Dominique Burgeon, Director, FAO Liaison Office in Geneva (2-3 min)
15:16 – 15:26	Buzzing stories of progress
	Permanent Mission of Ethiopia in Geneva Presentation (5 min) Ms. Ricarda Mondry, Livestock Development Officer, FAO Ethiopia (5 min)
15:27 – 16:00	Hive voices: Interactive Session with Beekeepers
	Mr. Cedric Périat, Director and Founder, Printemps des Abeilles (15 min) Mr. Christian Jenny, Beekeeper, Conservatory and Botanical Garden of the City of Geneva (15 mins) Q&A section (3 min)
16:00 - 16:30	Honey Tasting & Networking Session

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