UN designates 'day of clean air'

By Bahk Eun-ji

The United Nations has adopted a resolution designating Sept. 7 as a day for clean air, an initiative led by Korea to raise awareness about air pollution and boost international efforts to solve the problem, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Second Committee of the General Assembly approved the resolution for the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, which will be observed starting next year with assistance from the United Nations Environment Program.

It is the first special day designated by the U.N. following the Korean government's lead, and the first resolution on air pollution to be endorsed at the Second Committee, which deals with economic growth and development issues. Twenty-two countries including the U.S. and Israel took part in the joint proposal, the foreign ministry said.

The resolution was made after President Moon Jae-in proposed the designation during a speech at the U.N. Climate Action Summit in New York in September.

“To improve air quality, the international community's cooperation and joint actions are needed, including joint research and technological support,” Moon said in the speech.

The resolution said the international community needs to pay closer attention to air pollution as a risk factor threatening ecosystems and people's health, especially in vulnerable groups such as women, the elderly and children.

“The resolution is not the finishing point, but the beginning. The true value of the resolution depends on what the international community does to solve the air pollution issue,” Cho Hyun, the permanent representative of Korea to the U.N., said during a speech before the endorsement.

Cho said the designation will significantly raise public awareness about the hazards of air pollution, and will serve to encourage member countries as well as related organizations to act to solve the problem.