The following information was released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand:

Mr. Sek Wannamethee, Director-General of the Department of Information and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a report from Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations Office in New York that on 6 December 2013, the Economic and Financial Committee (the Second Committee) of the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York adopted a resolution to declare 5 December of every year as the World Soil Day and to declare 2015 as the International Year of Soils.

The objective of this international observance is to promote and raise awareness of the importance of soils towards agriculture development, nutrition and food security at the national and international levels to address the challenges of continued world population growth.

Following the 17th World Congress of Soil Science in Bangkok in 2002, the International Union of Soil Sciences, with over 60,000 members worldwide, had recognized the importance of the work of H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej in the field of soil resources development, in particular agriculture development.  Since then 5 December was chosen as the World Soil Day in recognition of the tremendous efforts and dedication of H.M. King Bhumibhol Adulyadej in this regard.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives have been collaborating in a joint effort to designate the World Soil Day and the International Year of Soils.  At the 38th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Conference on 16-22 June 2013 in Rome, resolutions declaring 5 December as World Soil Day and 2015 as the International Year of Soils were adopted by consensus.

Following the adoption of the World Soil Day and the International Year of Soils by FAO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in New York, presented a resolution to the Second Committee of the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly to declare 5 December of every year as the World Soil Day and 2015 as the International Year of Soils.  The purpose is to promote and raise awareness of the importance of this soil resources among all stakeholders including member states, United Nations specialized agencies, private sector, civil society, and academic and to encourage them join in the celebration of the World Soil Day and the International Year of Soils.