Beni: Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO) Celebrates World Environment Day by Planting Trees in a School

In Beni, North Kivu Province, MONUSCO celebrated World Environment Day on Thursday, June 5, by organizing an awareness campaign and planting trees at a local school. “It’s a very important day” said Adam Obatoki Salami, acting head of the UN mission’s sub-office.

Celebrated every year on June 5 since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public awareness, observed by millions of people around the world.

According to Adam Obatoki Salami, this year’s celebration was an opportunity to raise awareness about the harmful impact and dangers of plastic materials that pollute the environment. The theme chosen for this year is: “Beat Plastic Pollution.”.

“It’s a call for everyone to take responsibility so that we can collectively protect our environment and fight against the dangers of plastic pollution. Our message to the people of Beni is, first, that MONUSCO is committed to combating plastic pollution, working toward a better environment, and raising awareness so people consider environmental issues in their daily lives. We’ve planned several awareness activities throughout the city for this day.” noted Adam Obatoki.

Among these activities were tree planting events at MONUSCO’s Mavivi base and at Matembo Primary School, along with public awareness meetings on environmental protection.

Moïse Adirodu, Head of Administration and Finance at the environmental coordination office in Beni, believes MONUSCO is fulfilling its role in full cooperation with local authorities:

“MONUSCO plays an active role in environmental management. It implements waste management strategies and makes efforts to reduce its carbon footprint in its decision-making processes, in line with the objectives of the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. Through its actions in the city of Beni, MONUSCO has become a key partner for our environmental coordination. I’d like to recall that when the mayor of Beni launched the community cleanup initiatives—commonly known as Salongo—MONUSCO was leading from the front. We truly appreciate this kind of partnership” he said.

According to the United Nations, more than 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year, half of which is designed for single use. Less than 10% of this plastic is recycled. An estimated 11 million tons of plastic end up in lakes, rivers, and oceans annually—and Beni’s rivers are no exception.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Mission de l’Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO).