The International Day for Biological Diversity, also known as World Biodiversity Day, is an official United Nations day created to raise awareness about biodiversity. It is celebrated on May 22 each year.

This day is part of the United Nations’ Post-2015 Development Agenda, which includes goals for sustainable development. As part of this global effort, biodiversity is important to many areas, such as sustainable farming, preventing desertification and land damage, improving water and sanitation, health, energy, science and technology, urban planning, transportation, climate change, ocean and forest protection, and ensuring food security for all people. The importance of biodiversity for sustainable development was noted in a document from the Rio+20 conference titled “The World We Want: A Future for All.”

Before 2000, the day was held on December 29 to mark when the Convention on Biological Diversity became effective. In 2000, the date was changed to May 22 to honor when the Convention was adopted during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. This change also helped avoid conflicts with other holidays in late December.