4 January 2011: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has released a note outlining specific proposals that countries could carry out at the local, national, regional or international levels to mark the 40th anniversary of the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme in 2011.

At the 22nd session of the International Coordinating Council (ICC) of the MAB, which took place in Paris, France, from 31 May – 4 June 2010, consideration was given to the possibility of organizing or initiating at its 23rd session, to be held in Dresden, Germany, in June 2011, a world event, in particular a MAB Programme Day or a World Biosphere Reserve Day. The Day could be observed during the 36th session of the General Conference of UNESCO, scheduled for October 2011.

The note outlines: opportunities the celebration could offer; proposed measures; a work schedule and communication materials. The note indicates that based on these activities, the MAB Programme and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves would contribute in a structured and coherent manner to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), in 2012. [The Note]