World Bee Day
A/RES/72/211
A/RES/72/211
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
World Bee Day is the United Nations observance held on 20 May to raise awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators, the challenges they face and the actions that can support pollinator health and habitats.
The observance is not limited to honey production. Pollination supports wild plant communities as well as agriculture, and many pollinating species other than managed honey bees contribute to ecosystems.
Why it matters
Pollinators connect biodiversity, food production and habitat quality. World Bee Day provides a practical opportunity to think about flowering resources, nesting habitat, land management and the ways pesticides or other pressures can affect pollinators.
Actions should be adapted to local ecology. Planting or habitat advice is strongest when it comes from local native-plant, agricultural or conservation guidance rather than a universal species list.
History
The Government of Slovenia, supported by Apimondia, promoted the proposal that led the UN General Assembly to declare 20 May as World Bee Day. FAO states that the day has been celebrated since 2018.
The date was chosen because 20 May is the birthday of Anton Janša, an 18th-century Slovenian pioneer of modern apiculture.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
Government of Slovenia, supported by Apimondia
The Government of Slovenia, supported by Apimondia, promoted the proposal that led the UN General Assembly to declare 20 May as World Bee Day.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/72/211
First documented observance
FAO states that the day has been celebrated since 2018.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
A/RES/72/211 explicitly invites FAO to facilitate observance of World Bee Day in collaboration with relevant organizations.
What the evidence establishes
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
2 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
World Honey Bee Day
Ways to observe
Plant locally appropriate flowering plants using native-plant or agricultural guidance for your region.
Reduce unnecessary pesticide use and follow label and local expert guidance where pest management is needed.
Leave or create suitable habitat features for native pollinators where this is safe and ecologically appropriate.
Learn about both managed bees and wild pollinators in your area rather than focusing on a single species.
Support responsible beekeeping, pollinator research or habitat-restoration work through credible local organizations.
Useful facts
World Bee Day is observed on 20 May.
The UN General Assembly declared the observance after a proposal led by Slovenia with support from Apimondia.
FAO states that World Bee Day has been celebrated since 2018.
The date marks the birthday of Anton Janša, a pioneer of modern apiculture.
The observance concerns bees and other pollinators, not honey bees alone.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations — World Bee Day (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/72/211 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — A/RES/72/211, World Bee Day (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — World Bee Day (opens in a new tab)
Un Official
UN General Assembly resolution record (opens in a new tab)
Un Resolution
United Nations — List of International Days and Weeks (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — Observances: who chooses them and how (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Bee Day?
20 May The stored recurrence guidance is: 20 May.
Does World Bee Day fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is World Bee Day an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: FAO / United Nations / international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Bee Day?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Government of Slovenia, supported by Apimondia. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Is World Bee Day international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: FAO / United Nations / international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-05.
When is World Bee Day?
World Bee Day is observed every year on 20 May.
Why was 20 May chosen?
The date is the birthday of Anton Janša, a Slovenian pioneer of modern apiculture.
How can I help pollinators responsibly?
Use locally appropriate habitat and planting guidance, avoid unnecessary pesticide use, and support native pollinator habitat and credible conservation or research work.
Other observances on May 20
These records also resolve to May 20, 2027 under the current authority data.
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