In 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/70/267 designating June 29 as the International Day of the Tropics, marking the anniversary of the 2014 launch of the State of the Tropics report, a collaboration between twelve leading research institutions coordinated by James Cook University in Australia. The tropics, spanning the region around the equator, are home to more than 40 percent of the world's population and host a significant share of the planet's biodiversity and rainforests, often called the Earth's lungs. Yet these regions face mounting challenges including deforestation, climate change, poverty, and rapid population growth. The day highlights the unique opportunities the tropics offer, calls for protecting their biodiversity, and supports sustainable development that preserves their natural wealth for future generations.