United Nations International EVENTS

International decades 2011–2020 Decade of Action for Road Safety A/RES/64/255 (draft resolution A/64/L.44/Rev.1 + Add.1) 2010-2020 United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification A/RES/62/195 [draft res. A/62/419/Add.7] 2008-2017 Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty A/RES/62/205 2006-2016 Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions (third decade after the Chernobyl disaster) A/RES/62/9 2005-2015 International Decade for Action, “Water for Life” A/RES/58/217 2005-2014 United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development A/RES/57/254 Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People A/RES/59/174 2003-2012 United Nations Literacy Decade: Education for All A/RES/56/116 2001-2010 International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World A/RES/59/143 Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa A/RES/60/221 Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism A/RES/55/146 1997–2006 Decade for The Eradication for Poverty A/RES/50/107 1995–2004 Decade for Human Rights Education A/RES/49/184 1994–2004 Decade of the World's Indigenous People A/RES/48/163 1993–2003 Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination A/RES/48/91 1991–2000 Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa A/RES/44/237 A/RES/47/177 Second Transport and Communications Decade in Africa A/RES/43/179 United Nations Decade Against Drug Abuse A/RES/S-17/2 Fourth United Nations Development Decade A/RES/45/199 1990–2000 International Decade for the Eradification of Colonialism A/RES/43/47 1990–1999 United Nations Decade of International Law A/RES/44/23 International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction A/RES/42/169 A/RES/44/236 1990s Third Disarmament Decade A/RES/43/78 L A/RES/45/62 A 1988–1997 World Decade for Cultural Development A/RES/41/187 1983–1993 Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination A/RES/38/14 1983–1992 United Nations Decade for Disabled Persons A/RES/37/53 1981–1990 International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade A/RES/35/18 Third United Nations Development Decade A/RES/35/56 1980–1990 Second Disarmament Decade A/RES/35/46 1980s Industrial Development Decade for Africa A/RES/35/66 B 1978–1988 Transport and Communications Decade for Africa A/RES/32/160 1976–1985 United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace A/RES/3520 (XXX) 1973–1983 Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination A/RES/2919 (XXVII) 1971–1980 Second United Nations Development Decade A/RES/2626 (XXV) 1970s Disarmament Decade A/RES/2602 E (XXIV) 1960–1970 United Nations Development Decade A/RES/1710 (XVI)     International days   January
27 January	International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust	A/RES/60/7
Top February
4 February	World Cancer Day [WHO]	A/RES/62/10
20 February	World Day of Social Justice	A/RES/62/10
21 February	International Mother Language Day [UNESCO]	A/RES/56/262
Top March
8 March	International Women's Day | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 |	—
20 March	French Language Day at the UN	—
21 March	International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination	A/RES/2142 (XXI)
21 March	World Poetry Day [UNESCO]	—
21 March	International Day of Nowruz	A/RES/64/253
22 March	World Water Day	A/RES/47/193
23 March	World Meteorological Day  [WMO]	WMO/EC-XII/Res.6
24 March	World Tuberculosis Day [WHO]	WMO/EC-XII/Res.6
24 March	International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims	A/RES/65/196 (A/65/451, draft resolution II)
25 March	International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade	A/RES/62/122
25 March	International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members	—
Top April
2 April	World Autism Awareness Day	A/RES/62/139
4 April	International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action	A/RES/60/97
7 April	Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda Genocide	—
7 April	World Health Day [WHO]	WHA/A.2/Res.35
20 April	Chinese Language Day at the UN	—
22 April	International Mother Earth Day	A/RES/63/278
23 April	English Language Day at the UN	—
23 April	World Book and Copyright Day [UNESCO]	Resolution 3.18 of the 28th session of the UNESCO General Conference
25 April	World Malaria Day [WHO]	—
26 April	World Intellectual Property Day [WIPO]	—
28 April	World Day for Safety and Health at Work [ILO]	—
Top May
3 May	World Press Freedom Day	A/DEC/48/432
8-9 May	Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War	A/RES/59/26
9-10 May	World Migratory Bird Day [UNEP]	—
15 May	International Day of Families	A/RES/47/237
17 May	World Telecommunication and Information Society Day [ITU]	A/RES/60/252
21 May	World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development	A/RES/57/249
22 May	International Day for Biological Diversity	A/RES/55/201
29 May	International Day of UN Peacekeepers | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 - 60th Anniversary of UN Peacekeeping | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003	A/RES/57/129
31 May	World No-Tobacco Day [WHO]	Resolution 42.19 of the 42nd session of WHO
Top June
4 June	International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression	A/RES/ES-7/8
5 June	World Environment Day [UNEP]	A/RES/2994 (XXVII)
6 June	Russian Language Day at the UN	—
8 June	World Oceans Day	A/RES/63/111
12 June	World Day Against Child Labour [ILO]	—
14 June	World Blood Donor Day [WHO]	WHA58.13
17 June	World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought	A/RES/49/115
20 June	World Refugee Day	A/RES/55/76
23 June	United Nations Public Service Day	A/RES/57/277
23 June	International Widow’s Day	A/RES/65/189 (A/65/449, draft resolution III)
25 June	Day of the Seafarer	STCW/CONF.2/DC.4
26 June	International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking	A/RES/42/112
26 June	United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture	A/RES/52/149
Top July
2 July (First Saturday in July)	International Day of Cooperatives	A/RES/47/90
11 July	World Population Day	UNDP decision 89/46
18 July	Nelson Mandela International Day	A/RES/64/13
Top August
9 August	International Day of the World's Indigenous People	A/RES/49/214
12 August	International Youth Day	A/RES/54/120
19 August	World Humanitarian Day	A/RES/63/139
23 August	International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition [UNESCO]	Decision 8.2 of the 150th session of the UNESCO Executive Board
26 August	Namibia Day	A/RES/3111(XXVIII)
29 August	International Day against Nuclear Tests	A/RES/64/35
Top September
8 September	International Literacy Day [UNESCO]	Resolution 1.141 of the 14th session of the UNESCO General Conference
10 September	World Suicide Prevention Day [WHO]	—
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
21 September	International Day of Peace |2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002	A/RES/36/67 A/RES/55/282
25 September (Last Sunday in September)	World Heart Day [WHO]	—
27 September	World Tourism Day	—
28 September	World Rabies Day [WHO]	—
29 September (Last week of September)	World Maritime Day	IMCO/C XXXVIII/21
Top October
1 October	International Day of Older Persons	A/RES/45/106
2 October	International Day of Non-Violence	A/RES/61/271
3 October (First Monday in October)	World Habitat Day	A/RES/40/202 A
5 October	World Teachers’ Day [UNESCO]	UNESCOPRESSE, vol.4, no.17, p.9
9 October	World Post Day [UPU]	UPU/Tokyo Congress 1969/Res.C.11
10 October	World Mental Health Day [WHO]	—
12 October	Spanish Language Day at the UN	—
13 October	International Day for Disaster Reduction	A/RES/44/236 A/RES/64/200
13 October (Second Thursday in October)	World Sight Day [WHO]	—
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	World Statistics Day	A/RES/64/267
24 October	United Nations Day | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2001	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]	—
Top November
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]	—
14 November	World Diabetes Day [WHO]	A/RES/61/225
16 November	International Day for Tolerance	Resolution 5.61 of the 28th session of the UNESCO General Conference A/RES/51/95
17 November	World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day [WHO]	—
17 November (Third Thursday in November)	World Philosophy Day [UNESCO]	—
20 November	Universal Children’s Day	—
20 November	Africa Industrialization Day	A/RES/44/237
20 November (Third Sunday in November	World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims [WHO]	A/RES/60/5
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
Top December
1 December	World AIDS Day 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2001 | 2000	—
2 December	International Day for the Abolition of Slavery	—
3 December	International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2010 | 2009 | 2008	A/RES/47/3
5 December	International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development	A/RES/40/212
7 December	International Civil Aviation Day [ICAO]	A/RES/51/33
9 December	International Anti-Corruption Day	A/RES/58/4
10 December	Human Rights Day 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002	A/RES/423 (V)
11 December	International Mountain Day	A/RES/57/245
18 December	International Migrants Day	A/RES/55/93
18 December	Arabic Language Day at the UN	—
19 December	United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation	A/RES/58/220
20 December	International Human Solidarity Day	A/RES/60/209

 

 

 

International weeks

February
First week of February	World Interfaith Harmony Week	A/RES/65/5
March
21-27 March	Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination	A/RES/34/24
April
23-29 April 2007	UN Global Road Safety Week
May
25-31 May	Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories	A/RES/54/91
August
1-7 August	World Breastfeeding Week (WHO)
October
4-10 October	World Space Week	A/RES/54/68
24-30 October	Disarmament Week	A/RES/S-10/2, p. 102
NOVEMBER
6-12 November (The week in which 11 November falls)	International Week of Science and Peace	A/RES/43/61

   

 

 

International years

2013
International Year of Water Cooperation	A/RES/65/154 (A/65/436/Add.1, draft resolution III)
2012
IInternational Year of Cooperatives	A/RES/64/136
International Year of Sustainable Energy for All	A/RES/65/151 (A/65/436, draft resolution V)
2011
International Year for People of African Descent	A/RES/64/169 Draft resolution: A/64/439/Add.2 (Part II)
International Year of Chemistry	A/RES/63/209
International Year of Forests	A/RES/61/193
International Year of Youth   (12 August 2010 - 11 August 2011)	A/RES/64/134 Draft resolution: A/64/432
2010
International Year of Youth   (12 August 2010 - 11 August 2011)	A/RES/64/134 Draft resolution: A/64/432
International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures	A/RES/62/90
International Year of Biodiversity	A/RES/61/203
2009
International Year of Reconciliation	A/RES/61/17
International Year of Natural Fibres	A/RES/61/189
International Year of Human Rights Learning (beginning on 10 December 2008)	A/RES/62/171
International Year of Astronomy	A/RES/62/200
2008
International Year of Planet Earth	A/RES/60/192
International Year of Languages	A/RES/61/266
International Year of Sanitation	A/RES/61/192
Year of the Gorilla (UNEP and UNESCO)
International Year of the Potato	A/RES/60/191
2007
2007-2008 International Polar Year (WMO)
2006
International Year of Deserts and Desertification	A/RES/58/211
2005
International Year of Microcredit	A/RES/53/197
International Year for Sport and Physical Education	A/RES/58/5
International Year of Physics	A/RES/58/293
2004
International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition	A/RES/57/195
International Year of Rice	A/RES/57/162
2003
Year of Kyrgyz Statehood	A/RES/57/248
International Year of Freshwater	A/RES/55/196
2002
United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage	A/RES/56/8
International Year of Mountains	A/RES/53/24
International Year of Ecotourism	A/RES/53/200
2001
United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations	A/RES/53/22
International Year of Volunteers	A/RES/52/17
International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance	A/RES/53/132
2000
International Year of Thanksgiving	A/RES/52/16
International Year for the Culture of Peace	A/RES/52/15
1999
International Year of Older Persons	A/RES/47/5 A/RES/50/141
1998
International Year of the Ocean	A/RES/49/131
1996
International Year for the Eradication of Poverty	A/RES/48/183
1995
United Nations Year for Tolerance	A/RES/48/126
World Year of Peoples’ Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War	A/RES/49/25
1994
International Year of the Family	A/RES/44/82
International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal	A/RES/48/10
1993
International Year for the World's Indigenous People	A/RES/45/164 A/RES/47/75
1992
International Space Year	A/RES/44/46
1990
International Litercay Year	A/RES/42/104
1987
International Year of Shelter for The Homeless	A/RES/36/71 A/RES/37/221
1986
International Year of Peace	A/RES/37/16 A/RES/40/3
1985
Year of The United Nations	A/RES/39/161 A
International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace	A/RES/34/151
1983
World Communications Year; Development of Communication Infrastructures	A/RES/36/40
1982
International Year of Mobilization for Sanctions Against South Africa	A/RES/36/172 B
1981
International Year for Disabled Persons	A/RES/31/123
1979
International Year of The Child	A/RES/31/169
1978/79
International Anti-Apartheid Year	A/RES/32/105 B
1975
International Women's Year	A/RES/3010 (XXVII)
1974
World Population Year	A/RES/2683 (XXV)
1971
International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Prejudice	A/RES/2544 (XXIV)
1970
International Education Year	A/RES/2306 (XXII) A/RES/2412 (XXIII)
1968
International Year for Human Rights	A/RES/2081 (XX)
1967
International Tourist Year	A/RES/2148 (XXI)
1965
International Co-operation Year	A/RES/1907 (XVIII)
1961
International Health and Medical Research Year	A/RES/1283 (XIII)
1959/60
World Refugee Year	A/RES/1285 (XIII)