The Clean Seas UN initiative - at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020
The Japanese city of Ichinomiya, which will host a surfing competition during the 2020 Olympic Games, joined the UN Clean Seas Initiative to raise awareness of the problem of marine waste worldwide.
As part of this Initiative, the city committed to attracting the population, in particular the younger generation, to the active use of eco-bags instead of plastic bags, and to lecture on the effect of microplastic on the environment. Also, the hosts of the competition will regularly organize the cleaning of the beaches of Ichinomiya, apply drainage networks to improve the water quality of the river of the same name.
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has also become part of the Initiative launched in February 2017. Together with the Ghost Fishing Foundation’s marine conservation group, it launched the Good Net project, which aims to protect the seas and oceans by recovering discarded fishing nets from the oceans and their further processing into volleyball nets.
“The UN’s commitment to protecting natural waters has a huge impact on the whole world, and I’m glad that the family of volleyball players has become part of this movement,” said President of the International Volleyball Federation Ari Gras Filo.
There is a great merit of the International Olympic Committee, which works closely with the International Sports Federations, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and athletes to involve them in this undertaking. Joining the IOC in the Clean Seas Initiative demonstrates commitment to the sustainable conduct of the 2020 Olympic Games and their legacy.
