U.N. International Awareness and Commemorative Dates

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Published: 2018-12-20 - Updated: 2021-01-19
Author: Disabled World | Contact: www.disabled-world.com
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Synopsis: List of International days of observance established by the United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO) and UNESCO. United Nations (U.N.) promotes international awareness and action on a number of important world issues. 24 March - International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims.

Main Digest

What Are International Days of Observance?

International days of observance, and/or awareness, are notable observed periods such as days, weeks, months, years and even decades, declared by various world governments, major groups and organizations to raise awareness of a particular issue, to commemorate a group or event, or created to celebrate an occasion.

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By creating special dates or observances, the United Nations (U.N.) promotes international awareness and action on a number of important world issues.

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Many of these dates have been established by:

Economic and Social Council, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
United Nations General Assembly (UN)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Listed below is a list of international days of observance observed or declared by the United Nations.

International Awareness and Commemorative Dates as Observed by the United Nations
Jump To: Days Weeks Years Decades
U.N. International Days

January 27 January - International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust February 4 February - World Cancer Day 6 February - International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation 13 February - World Radio Day 20 February - World Day of Social Justice 21 February - International Mother Language Day March 1 March - Zero Discrimination Day - (UNAIDS) 3 March - World Wildlife Day 8 March - International Women's Day 20 March - International Day of Happiness 21 March - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 21 March - World Poetry Day - (UNESCO) 21 March - International Day of Nowruz 21 March - World Down Syndrome Day 21 March - International Day of Forests 22 March - World Water Day 23 March - World Meteorological Day 24 March - World Tuberculosis Day 24 March - International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims 25 March - International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade 25 March - International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members April 2 April - World Autism Awareness Day 4 April - International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 6 April - International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 7 April - International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda 7 April - World Health Day - (WHO) 12 April - International Day of Human Space Flight 22 April - International Mother Earth Day 23 April - World Book and Copyright Day 23 April - English Language Day 24 - 30 April - World Immunization Week - (WHO) 25 April - World Malaria Day - (WHO) 26 April - World Intellectual Property Day - (WIPO) 28 April - World Day for Safety and Health at Work 29 April - Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 30 April - International Jazz Day May 3 May - World Press Freedom Day 8-9 May - Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War 9-10 May - World Migratory Bird Day - (UNEP) 15 May - International Day of Families 17 May - World Telecommunication and Information Society Day - (ITU) 21 May - World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialog and Development 22 May - International Day for Biological Diversity 23 May - International Day to End Obstetric Fistula 29 May - International Day of UN Peacekeepers 31 May - World No-Tobacco Day - (WHO) June 1 June - Global Day of Parents 1 June - "Vesak", the Day of the Full Moon 4 June - International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression 5 June - World Environment Day - (UNEP) 6 June - Russian Language Day at the UN - (in Russian) 7 June - World Food Safety Day 8 June - World Oceans Day 12 June - World Day Against Child Labour 13 June - International Albinism Awareness Day 14 June - World Blood Donor Day - (WHO) 15 June - World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 17 June - World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 20 June - World Refugee Day 21 June - International Day of Yoga 23 June - United Nations Public Service Day 23 June - International Widows' Day 25 June - Day of the Seafarer - (IMO) 26 June - International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 26 June - United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture July 4 July - (first Saturday in July) - International Day of Cooperatives 11 July - World Population Day 15 July - World Youth Skills Day 18 July - Nelson Mandela International Day 28 July - World Hepatitis Day - (WHO) 30 July - International Day of Friendship 30 July - World Day against Trafficking in Persons August 9 August - International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 12 August - International Youth Day 19 August - World Humanitarian Day 23 August - International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition - (UNESCO) 29 August - International Day against Nuclear Tests 30 August - International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances September 5 September - International Day of Charity 8 September - International Literacy Day - (UNESCO) 12 September - United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation 15 September - International Day of Democracy 16 September - International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 21 September - International Day of Peace 25 September - (last week of September) - World Maritime Day - (IMO) 26 September - International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons 27 September - World Tourism Day October 1 October - International Day of Older Persons 2 October - International Day of Non-Violence 5 October - World Teachers Day - (UNESCO) 5 October - (first Monday in October) - World Habitat Day 9 October - World Post Day 10 October - World Mental Health Day - (WHO) 11 October - International Day of the Girl Child 13 October - International Day for Disaster Reduction 15 October - International Day of Rural Women 16 October - World Food Day - (FAO) 17 October - International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 20 October - World Statistics Day 24 October - United Nations Day 24 October - World Development Information Day 27 October - World Day for Audiovisual Heritage - (UNESCO) 31 October - World Cities Day November 2 November - International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists 6 November - International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict 10 November - World Science Day for Peace and Development 14 November - World Diabetes Day 15 November - (third Sunday in November) - World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 16 November - International Day for Tolerance - (Resolution 5.61 of the 28th session of the UNESCO General Conference) 19 November - World Toilet Day 19 November - (third Thursday in November) - World Philosophy Day 20 November - Africa Industrialization Day 20 November - Universal Childrens Day 21 November - World Television Day 25 November - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 29 November - International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People December 1 December - World AIDS Day 2 December - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 3 December - International Day of Persons with Disabilities 5 December - International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development 5 December - World Soil Day - (FAO) 7 December - International Civil Aviation Day - (ICAO) 9 December - International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime 9 December - International Anti-Corruption Day 10 December - Human Rights Day 11 December - International Mountain Day 18 December - International Migrants Day 20 December - International Human Solidarity Day
U.N. International Weeks
February 2 - 8 February (first week of February) - World Interfaith Harmony Week March 21 - 27 March - Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination April 19 - 23 April - Global Soil Week 24 - 30 April - World Immunization Week (WHO) May 4 - 10 May - UN Global Road Safety Week (WHO) 25 - 31 May - Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories August 1 - 7 August - World Breastfeeding Week - (WHO) October 4 - 10 October - World Space Week 24 - 30 October - Disarmament Week November 9 - 15 November (the week in which 11 November falls) - International Week of Science and Peace
U.N. International Years
2024 - International Year of Camelids 2022 - International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2019 - International Year of Indigenous Languages, International Year of Moderation, International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements 2018 - 2017 - International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2016 - International Year of Pulses 2015 - International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies, International Year of Soils (FAO) 2014 - International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, International Year of Small Island Developing States, International Year of Crystallography, International Year of Family Farming 2013 - International Year of Water Cooperation, International Year of Quinoa 2012 - International Year of Cooperatives, International Year of Sustainable Energy for All 2011 - International Year for People of African Descent, International Year of Chemistry, International Year of Forests, International Year of Youth 2010 - International Year of Youth (12 August 2010 - 11 August 2011), International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, International Year of Biodiversity, International Year of the Seafarer 2009 - International Year of Reconciliation, International Year of Natural Fibers, International Year of Human Rights Learning, International Year of Astronomy, Year of the Gorilla (UNEP and UNESCO) 2008 - International Year of Planet Earth, International Year of Languages, International Year of Sanitation, International Year of the Potato 2007-2008 - International Polar Year (WMO) 2006 - International Year of Deserts and Desertification 2005 - International Year of Microcredit, International Year for Sport and Physical Education, International Year of Physics 2004 - International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition, International Year of Rice 2003 - Year of Kyrgyz Statehood, International Year of Freshwater 2002 - United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage, International Year of Mountains, International Year of Eco-tourism 2001 - United Nations Year of Dialog among Civilizations, International Year of Volunteers, International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance 2000 - International Year of Thanksgiving - (A/RES/52/16), International Year for the Culture of Peace 1999 - International Year of Older Persons 1998 - International Year of the Ocean 1996 - International Year for the Eradication of Poverty 1995 - United Nations Year for Tolerance, World Year of Peoples Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War 1994 - International Year of the Family, International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal 1993 - International Year for the World's Indigenous People 1992 - International Space Year 1990 - International Literacy Year 1987 - International Year of Shelter for The Homeless 1986 - International Year of Peace 1985 - Year of the United Nations, International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace 1983 - World Communications Year; Development of Communication Infrastructures 1982 - International Year of Mobilization for Sanctions Against South Africa 1981 - International Year for Disabled Persons 1979 - International Year of The Child 1978 - 1979 - International Anti-Apartheid Year 1975 - International Women's Year 1974 - World Population Year 1971 - International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Prejudice 1970 - International Education Year 1968 - International Year for Human Rights 1967 - International Tourist Year 1965 - International Co-operation Year 1961 - International Health and Medical Research Year 1959 - 1960 - World Refugee Year
U.N. International Decades
2015 - 2024 - International Decade for People of African Descent 2014 - 2024 - United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2011 - 2020 - Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, Decade of Action for Road Safety 2010 - 2020 - United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification 2008 - 2017 - Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty 2006 - 2016 - Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions (3rd decade after the Chernobyl disaster) 2005 - 2015 - International Decade for Action, Water for Life 2005 - 2014 - United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous People 2003 - 2012 - United Nations Literacy Decade: Education for All 2001 - 2010 - International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World, Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa, Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism 1997 - 2006 - Decade for The Eradication for Poverty 1995 - 2004 - Decade for Human Rights Education 1994 - 2004 - Decade of the World's Indigenous People 1993 - 2003 - Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination 1991 - 2000 - Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa, Second Transport and Communications Decade in Africa, United Nations Decade Against Drug Abuse, Fourth United Nations Development Decade 1990 - 2000 - International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism 1990 - 1999 - United Nations Decade of International Law, International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction 1990s - Third Disarmament Decade 1988 - 1997 - World Decade for Cultural Development 1983 - 1993 - Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination 1983 - 1992 - United Nations Decade for Disabled Persons 1981 - 1990 - International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade, Third United Nations Development Decade 1980 - 1990 - Second Disarmament Decade 1980's - Industrial Development Decade for Africa 1978 - 1988 - Transport and Communications Decade for Africa 1976 - 1985 - United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace 1973 - 1983 - Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination 1971 - 1980 - Second United Nations Development Decade 1970's - Disarmament Decade 1960 - 1970 - United Nations Development Decade

Resources That Provide Relevant Information

Awareness Ribbons Chart: Color and Meaning of Awareness Ribbon Causes - List of awareness ribbon colors and associated causes regarding health and disability - Includes printable awareness ribbon chart.
Awareness Dates: Days - Weeks - Months - List of major awareness dates and commemorative observance days weeks and months that focus on health medical and disability research or ethical causes of importance.
List of U.S. Presidential Proclamation Dates - List of annual awareness and observance dates including days, weeks and months, as recognized by U.S. presidential proclamation.
Notable LGBT Awareness Dates and Events - List of important LGBT+ community awareness remembrance dates and coming events in respect to sexual orientation, gender identity, transgenderism, transsexualism, and intersexuality.

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