World Bicycle Day celebrated at UN headquarters

World Bicycle Day was celebrated at the UN headquarters in New York.

Speaking at the official ceremony on this occasion, Chef de Cabinet to the President of the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly František Ružička thanked the Government of Turkmenistan for putting forward an initiative at the UN to declare June 3 as World Bicycle Day. He noted that using a bicycle helps to reduce hydrocarbon emissions into the atmosphere, strengthen people's physical health, increase people’s desire to learn more about nature, reduce accidents on the roads, prolong life, reduce crime, as it draws young people away from the negative actions. Overall, using a bicycle promotes the implementation of six Sustainable Development Goals.

In their speeches, the Permanent Representatives to the United Nations of Canada, Liechtenstein, Bahrain, India, Afghanistan and Vietnam welcomed Turkmenistan’s initiative. They called for the greater popularization of the bicycle and called upon the world leaders to establish an infrastructure for the greater and safer use of the bicycle.

Then, the ceremony participants went on a ten-kilometer bicycle ride from the UN building to the Central Park of New York. All bicycle ride participants were presented with T-shirts with the logo of World Bicycle Day.