Slovenia chose 20 May as World Bee Day since it was the birthday of Anton Janša, who is considered a pioneer of modern beekeeping. He was the world's first modern beekeeping teacher and was appointed permanent beekeeping teacher at the new beekeeping school in Vienna by the Empress Maria Theresa. It is also the period when bees in the northern hemisphere are most active and begin to reproduce and when the need for pollination is the greatest. Following the example of Anton Janša, who recognised the importance of bees and other pollinators, Slovenia seeks to promote their importance through World Bee Day.

The promotion of World Bee Day also contributes to the global visibility of Slovenia and Slovenian beekeeping. This provides opportunities for further development and expansion to international markets in numerous fields. One of them is definitely to market beekeeping knowledge and skills. Further development is possible as regards the Slovenian beekeeping equipment, the export of bee products with a higher added value and other products. World Bee Day is also an opportunity for other branches of the economy, including tourism, trade and the hospitality industry, and for the general promotion of Slovenia globally.

The international Golden Bee Award or Aurea Apis contributes significantly to the visibility of World Bee Day and Slovenia as a country. The award will be given out for the third consecutive year, marking the end of the first three-year period. Each year, the Republic of Slovenia awards projects in one of the three fields, which succeed each other every three years. This year's Golden Bee Award rewards research on bees and other pollinators. The previous two awards were given out for the promotion and awareness raising of the importance of bees and other pollinators and for the preservation of bees and other pollinators.

With the Golden Bee Award, Slovenia promotes and supports the innovation and excellence of individuals or legal persons who have made a significantly important contribution to the protection of bees and other pollinators and awareness raising of their importance around the globe. It also encourages further activities in relation to the work and outstanding achievements of individuals or legal persons in these areas.

It is our ambition to make the Golden Bee Award the most recognisable award for international achievements in the field of bees and other pollinators. The award strengthens the reputation of Slovenia as a beekeeping, green and biodiverse country promoting food security, sustainable agriculture and nature protection nationally and internationally. With World Bee Day and the Golden Bee Award, Slovenia promotes the transfer of knowledge and technology and increases its global visibility as a green, healthy, proactive and innovative country. The Golden Bee Award Committee selected the award winner for the field of research on bees and other pollinators among three nominations from Serbia, two from Germany, two from Ukraine and one from Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro and Spain. This year's winner will be declared at the award ceremony on 24 May in the Presidential Palace.

At the national level, this year's World Bee Day will be celebrated on Saturday, 20 May 2023, in Celje as part of the Beekeeping Holiday. The main international event will be organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Experts from across the globe will participate in a round table entitled Bee engaged in pollinator-friendly agricultural production, where they will present different beekeeping methods and the diversity of bees and wild pollinators. This year's topic explores the contribution of beekeepers and the role of bees and other wild pollinators in increasing food safety, improving the quality of life and ensuring ecosystem services for agriculture. In addition to the main celebration, numerous events will be held all over the world. They will be organised by Slovenian diplomatic and consular representations with the participation of representatives of Slovenian governmental and non-governmental institutions.