International Day of Non-Violence marks the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the famous and much-loved leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence. The Day is to disseminate the message of non-violence, and to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence. In Gandhi's words: Non-violence is the […]
United Nation Day marks the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter and the coming into being of United Nations (UN). Then 50 states and now made up of 193 Member States, the UN undertakes the following: Maintains International Peace and Security by working to prevent conflict; helping parties in conflict make peace; […]
First celebrated in 2002, World Science Day for Peace and Development is to highlight the significant role of science in society and to: strengthen public awareness of the role of science for peaceful and sustainable societies; promote national and international solidarity for shared science between countries; renew national and international commitment for the use of […]
The 1995-adopted Declaration of Principles on Tolerance explains tolerance as respect and appreciation of the variety of the world's cultures, forms of expression and ways of being human. Qualifying tolerance not just as a moral duty, the Declaration states tolerance also as a political and legal requirement for individuals, groups and governments and suggests the […]
Chemical weapons used during World War I (WWI) resulted in >100,000 deaths and a million casualties, but were fortunately not used on the European battlegrounds in WWII. Particularly with the threat of nuclear war, many countries had come to realise the significant threat to all of humankind from chemical weapons. Adopted in 1993, the Chemical […]
International Day of People with Disability is to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate their achievements and contributions. Each year the UN announces a theme to provide an overarching focus on how society can strive for inclusivity through the removal of physical, technological and attitudinal barriers for people with […]
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 […]
The International Civil Aviation network carries over four billion passengers annually (120,000 flights and 12 million passengers a day), supports 65.5 million jobs and contributes US$2.7 trillion to the global economy. International Civil Aviation Day is to recognise the contribution of international civil aviation to global social and economic development and to acknowledge the work […]
International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is to observe and respect the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the first human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, to honour the lives of […]
Solidarity, as identified in the Millennium Declaration, is one of the fundamental values of international relations -- those, who suffer or benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most. In the context of globalization and the challenge of growing inequality, strengthening of international solidarity is indispensable.The Sustainable Development Agenda is centred on people and […]