World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day is to commemorate humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work, and to honour all aid and health workers who provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need. The Day marks the 2003 bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed 22 people, including […]

World Smile Day

In 1963, Harvey Ball created the smiley face symbol - a yellow circle with black eye dots and a smile curve. World Smile Day began in 1999 and is on the first Friday of October each year. It is a Day to smile and to make small acts of kindness. Harvey wanted to keep the […]

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most frequently by an intimate partner. Only 52% of women married or in a union freely make their own decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use and health care. 71% of all human trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls, and 3 […]

International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development

Volunteerism is vital for social, environmental and economic transformation and is underpinned by free will, commitment, equity, engagement, solidarity, compassion, empathy and respect for others. In 2019, there were 8,282 United Nations (UN) Volunteers who served in 54 UN missions, agencies, funds and programmes across the world - 29% were less than 29 years of […]