United Nations Observances
https://www.un.org/en/observances
The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. The United Nations observes designated days, weeks, years, and decades, each with a theme, or topic. By creating special observances, the United Nations promotes international awareness and action on these issues. Each international day offers many actors the opportunity to organize activities related to the theme of the day. Organizations and offices of the United Nations system, and most importantly, governments, civil society, the public and private sectors, schools, universities and, more generally, citizens, make an international day a springboard for awareness-raising actions. The majority of observances have been established by resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly, although some have been designated by UN specialized agencies. The United Nations also observes anniversaries of key events in its history.
International Days
The United Nations designates specific days, weeks, years and decades as occasions to mark particular events or topics in order to promote, through awareness and action, the objectives of the Organization. Usually, it is one or more Member States that propose these observances and the General Assembly establishes them with a resolution.
On occasion, these celebrations are declared by the specialized agencies of the United Nations, such as UNESCO, UNICEF, FAO, etc., when they concern issues that fall within the scope of their competencies. Some of them may be later adopted by the General Assembly.
Find out more about why we mark international days.
SEPTEMBER
5 September
International Day of Charity (A/RES/67/105)
7 September
International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (A/RES/74/212)
8 September
International Literacy Day (UNESCO 14 C/Resolution 1.441)
9 September
International Day to Protect Education from Attack (A/RES/74/275)
12 September
United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation (A/RES/58/220)
15 September
International Day of Democracy (A/RES/62/7)
16 September
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (A/RES/49/114)
17 September
World Patient Safety Day [WHO]
18 September
International Equal Pay Day (A/RES/74/142)
21 September
International Day of Peace (A/RES/36/67) (A/RES/55/282)
23 September
International Day of Sign Languages (A/RES/72/161)
24 September (last Thursday of September)
World Maritime Day (IMCO/C XXXVIII/21)
26 September
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (A/RES/68/32)
27 September
28 September
International Day for Universal Access to Information (A/RES/74/5) [UNESCO 38 C/70]
29 September
International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (A/RES/74/209)
30 September
International Translation Day (A/RES/71/288)
OCTOBER
1 October
International Day of Older Persons (A/RES/45/106)
2 October
International Day of Non-Violence (A/RES/61/271)
5 October
World Teachers’ Day [UNESCO] (27 C/INF.7)
5 October (first Monday of October)
World Habitat Day (A/RES/40/202 A)
9 October
World Post Day (UPU/1969/Res.C.11)
10 October
World Mental Health Day [WHO]
10 October (second Saturday of October)
World Migratory Bird Day [UNEP]
11 October
International Day of the Girl Child (A/RES/66/170)
13 October
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (A/RES/64/200)
15 October
International Day of Rural Women (A/RES/62/136)
16 October
World Food Day [FAO] (A/RES/35/70)
17 October
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (A/RES/47/196)
20 October (every five years, beginning in 2010)
World Statistics Day (A/RES/69/282)
24 October
United Nations Day (A/RES/168 (II); A/RES/2782 (XXVI))
24 October
World Development Information Day (A/RES/3038 (XXVII))
27 October
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (UNESCO 33/C/Resolution 53)
31 October
World Cities Day (A/RES/68/239)
NOVEMBER
2 November
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (A/RES/68/163)
5 November
World Tsunami Awareness Day (A/RES/70/203)
6 November
International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict (A/RES/56/4)
10 November
World Science Day for Peace and Development (UNESCO 31 C/Resolution 20)
14 November
World Diabetes Day (A/RES/61/225)
15 November (third Sunday of November)
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (A/RES/60/5)
16 November
International Day for Tolerance (UNESCO 28 C/Resolution 5.61; A/RES/51/95)
19 November
World Toilet Day (A/RES/67/291)
19 November (third Thursday of November)
World Philosophy Day (UNESCO 33 C/Resolution 37)
20 November
Africa Industrialization Day (A/RES/44/237)
20 November
World Children’s Day (A/RES/836(IX))
21 November
World Television Day (A/RES/51/205)
25 November
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (A/RES/54/134)
29 November
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (A/RES/32/40B)
30 November
Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare (OPCW C-20/DEC.10)
DECEMBER
1 December
2 December
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (A/RES/317(IV))
3 December
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (A/RES/47/3)
4 December
International Day of Banks (A/RES/74/245)
5 December
International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (A/RES/40/212)
5 December
7 December
International Civil Aviation Day (A/RES/51/33)
9 December
International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime (A/RES/69/323)
9 December
International Anti-Corruption Day (A/RES/58/4)
10 December
Human Rights Day (A/RES/423 (V))
11 December
International Mountain Day (A/RES/57/245)
12 December
International Day of Neutrality (A/RES/71/275)
12 December
International Universal Health Coverage Day (A/RES/72/138)
18 December
International Migrants Day (A/RES/55/93)
18 December
Arabic Language Day (Arabic)
20 December
International Human Solidarity Day (A/RES/60/209)
27 December
International Day of Epidemic Preparadness (A/RES/75/27)