Bolivia introduced the United Nations resolution creating International Mother Earth Day.
Bolivia led the draft resolution that the UN General Assembly adopted as Resolution 63/278 on April 22, 2009. The measure designated April 22 as International Mother Earth Day and presented Earth and its ecosystems as humanity’s common home.
The initiative was closely associated with Bolivian President Evo Morales and Bolivia’s emphasis on harmony with nature, interdependence, and the relationship between human well-being and living ecosystems. The proposal was not a unilateral Bolivian decision: more than 50 countries co-sponsored it before the General Assembly adopted it by consensus.
International Mother Earth Day is often confused with the older Earth Day movement, which began in the United States in 1970 and is also observed on April 22. The UN observance uses similar environmental themes but has its own diplomatic origin and language. It also differs from World Environment Day, held annually on June 5.