UN declares 3rd June as World Bicycle Day

The United Nations has declared 3rd June as International World Bicycle Day. This was decided last week during the 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly in New York City.

The resolution was adopted by a consensus of 193 member states. The declaration invites all Member States and relevant stakeholders to celebrate and promote awareness of the bicycle.

The resolution acknowledges the "uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle, which has been in use for two centuries, and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation, fostering environmental stewardship and health."

The UN also recognised that "the bicycle and the user fosters creativity and social engagement and gives the user an immediate awareness of the local environment" and that "the bicycle can serve as a tool for development and as a means not just of transportation but also of access to education, healthcare and sport."

The resolution stresses that the bicycle is a "symbol of sustainable transportation and conveys a positive message to foster sustainable consumption and production, and has a positive impact on climate."

The UN encourages Member States to "devote particular attention to the bicycle in cross-cutting development strategies and to include the bicycle in international, regional, national and subnational development policies and programmes."

It also encourages nations to "improve road safety and integrate it into sustainable mobility and transport infrastructure planning and design, in particular through policies and measures to actively protect and promote pedestrian safety and cycling mobility, with a view to broader health outcomes, particularly the prevention of injuries and non-communicable disease."

The campaign to create a World Bicycle Day was a goal of the World Cycling Alliance and the European Cyclists’ Federation.

It was also lobbied for by Leszek Sibilski, Professor of Sociology at Montgomery College, Maryland, US and his students.