BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The United Nations has designated Sunday, June 3 as the inaugural World Bicycle Day. Events are being planned around the world, including a gathering of international leaders at United Nations headquarters in New York City.
World Bicycle Relief's CEO, Dave Neiswander, will be among the speakers at the event. Team Novo Nordisk’s CEO and co-founder Phil Southerland also will speak.
Dr. Leszek Sibilski, along with his students at Maryland's Montgomery College, was a proponent of the designation. Sibilski is a supporter of World Bicycle Relief and a popular speaker on world mobility and transportation trends. He has served as a consultant for The World Bank Group and the United Nations. The Turkmenistan Permanent Mission to the UN introduced a draft resolution to create the event, which was co-sponsored by 56 countries. The UN adopted the resolution on April 12.
A UN statement about the day said it "encouraged stakeholders to emphasize and advance the use of the bicycle as a means of fostering sustainable development, strengthening education, including physical education, for children and young people, promoting health, preventing disease, promoting tolerance, mutual understanding and respect and facilitating social inclusion and a culture of peace."
PeopleForBikes is asking bicycle riders to celebrate the day and share their activities on social media with the hashtag #June3WorldBicycleDay.
