To mark the 7th World Bee Day 2024, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Prague, together with the Prague 6 and in cooperation with the United Nations Information Centre in Prague, opened an outdoor exhibition “Saving the Future: the World of Pollinators” in Ladronka Park, Prague 6. The exhibition, prepared by the Embassy and the Apiculture Museum Radovljica, Slovenia, highlights the crucial role of bees and other pollinators, shares interesting facts about beekeeping in Slovenia and promotes Slovenian bee diplomacy activities.
The opening was attended by Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Mr. Eduard Hulicius, Ambassador of Slovenia H.E Mrs. Tanja Strniša, Mayor of Prague 6 Mr. Jakub Stárek, and Head of the UN Information Centre Prague Mr. Michal Broža, diplomats and other important guests and partners. (Please see quotes from the opening speeches below and the video).
By installing beehives in Ladronka Park, the Prague 6 Municipality contributed significantly to this year’s celebration, thus fostering greater collaboration between governments, local communities and individuals in the efforts to protect pollinators.
The exhibition will be on display until 10 June 2024.
Bees are under threat. Present species extinction rates are 100 to 1,000 times higher than normal due to human impacts. Close to 35 percent of invertebrate pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, and about 17 percent of vertebrate pollinators, such as bats, face extinction globally. If this trend continues, nutritious crops, such as fruits, nuts and many vegetable crops will be substituted increasingly by staple crops like rice, corn and potatoes, eventually resulting in an imbalanced diet, the United Nations warns.
Since 2017 when the United Nations declared 20 May World Bee Day, Slovenia has continued its efforts to raise awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators and to promote international cooperation to help protecting them. Raising awareness of the importance of the pollinators helps protecting them and makes an important contribution to solving issues of global food supply. According to FAO, 71% of the most important crops grown for human consumption require pollination.
Bee Engaged with Youth
The 2024 World Bee Day focuses on the theme “Bee Engaged with Youth”. It aims to raise awareness among young people about the crucial role of bees and other pollinators in agriculture, ecological balance and biodiversity conservation. By involving young people in beekeeping activities, educational initiatives and advocacy efforts, we can inspire a new generation of environmental leaders and empower them to make a positive impact on the world.
Bees are under Threat
Bees are facing higher than normal rates of extinction due to human impacts, climate change and biodiversity degradation. Promoting more diverse farming systems and reducing dependence on toxic chemicals can help increase pollination.
Furthermore, Slovenia firmly believes in the unique potential of beekeeping to address social and environmental vulnerability. For example, beekeeping has become an increasingly popular way of adapting to climate change in water-scarce regions where people are losing their main source of livelihood and have to turn to other activities.
As a special addition to this year’s World Bee Day celebrations, Slovenia will co-host with the FAO the International Forum for Action on Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination, “Bees for People, Planet and Peace”, which will take place in Ljubljana on 22 and 23 May.
What Can Individuals Do to Save the Bees?
By taking these simple actions, everyone can help to protect and enhance bees and other pollinators in our ecosystem:
– Plant bee-friendly flowers
– Establish bee houses for solitary bees
– Opt for organic, sustainable food choices
– Buy honey and bee products locally
– Avoid harmful chemicals and pesticides
– Leave nesting sites for ground-nesting bees
– Plant hedgerows
– Sowing meadows with more flowers
World Bee Day is an opportunity for all of us to promote actions that will protect and enhance pollinators and their habitats, improve diversity, and support the sustainable development of beekeeping.
Through the exhibition in Ladronka Park, the organizers hope to inspire new individuals to become beekeepers or take other actions. As long as there are beekeepers and bee guardians, the bees will be protected!
Quotes from the speakers at the World Bee Day event in Ladronka Park:
Mr. Eduard Hulicius, Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic: “I would like to express my deepest thanks to the Slovenian Embassy and United Nations Information Centre Prague for hosting this important event and for their continued efforts to raise awareness of the importance of bees. Bees are tough and hardworking beings, always working hard for their future. Their dedication and teamwork are amazing. We should learn from them and use their example to improve our own cooperation in building prosperous future.”
Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia H.E Mrs. Tanja Strniša: “Pollinators are key to global ecosystem health and food security, but they are currently under threat due to human impacts, climate change, and biodiversity degradation. Therefore, Slovenia has strategically engaged its diplomatic network to co-create over 300 pollinator projects in collaboration with partners around the world. Slovenia’s flagship program titled “Bees for Peace” promotes peace through cooperative bee-related activities. We strongly believe in beekeeping’s unique potential to address social and environmental vulnerability. For example, Slovenia promotes beekeeping as a means of empowering war-affected people with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina or in Ukraine. Worth mentioning is also a project focused on climate adaptation through beekeeping to build resilience to climate change in Kenya’s drylands, which Slovenia initiated in collaboration with the World Food Programme.”
Mr. Jakub Stárek, Mayor of Prague 6: “We have decided to join the celebrations of World Bee Day initiated by the Embassy of Slovenia not only symbolically, but with concrete actions. We will continue to look for suitable locations for placing more beehives aside from those that have already been installed in our district.”
Mr. Michal Broža, Head of the UN Information Centre Prague: “The UN Office in Czechia is very pleased to have been able to work with Slovenia and Czechia again this year to promote the importance of bees and other pollinators. We need to tell people, especially young people, what everyone can do to protect these beautiful and important creatures and support those who care for them. I am quite sure that we will find many enthusiastic (not only young) allies in Czechia.”