The 40th General Conference of UNESCO has adopted the resolution to proclaim 4th March of every year a World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development in November 2019.
The World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) proposed 4th March as World Engineering Day, the founding day of the Federation, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Federation in 2018. This is an opportunity to celebrate the important contributions of engineers and engineering to sustainable development and modern life.
World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development will be celebrated annually from 2020 onwards. Organizations and offices of the United Nations system, and most importantly, governments, civil society, the public and private sectors, schools, universities, and more generally, citizens, are expected to make the international day a springboard for awareness-raising actions.
WFEO received some 80 letters of support from peak international and national institutions, academies and national commissions to UNESCO, representing 23 million engineers around the world.
This resolution was backed by member states of UNESCO with support from more than 40 nations including Namibia, China, Tanzania, Mozambique, Gambia, Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia, Uruguay, Senegal, Liberia, Nigeria, Turkey, Madagascar, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mali, Iraq, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Serbia, Saudi Arabia, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Poland, Kenya, Iran, Nicaragua, Oman, Bangladesh, France, Comoros Islands, Liberia, Jordan, Philippines, and UK. “Engineers aren’t very good at articulating the value of engineering and the impact that engineers and engineering have on society. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk about these aspects and engage the community in the work of engineers”, said Dr. Marlene Kanga, the Past President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, who led the proposal for the Day.
An international day with coordinated celebrations across the world is an opportunity to increase the profile of engineering. The Day is also an opportunity to engage with government and industry to address the need for engineering capacity and the quality of engineers around the world and develop strategic frameworks and best practices for the implementation of engineering solutions for sustainable development.
The celebration of World Engineering Day is also about promoting engineering as a career and how it is an opportunity to change the world for better. There is a great deal to be done specially to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries to ensure that everyone has access to clean water, sanitation, reliable energy, and other basic human needs. In all countries, there is also a great deal to be done – to deal with the impacts of climate change, environmental issues, our growing cities and the challenges of new technologies including artificial intelligence. There are many opportunities and the Day can be used to engage with young people and say “If you want to change the world for the better, become an engineer.”
All engineering institutions, universities, and businesses are invited to celebrate World Engineering day. WED communication kit can be used freely for your events and can be downloaded by clicking on this link.
