Since 1959 the UN has designated International years in order to draw attention to major issues and to encourage international action to address concerns which have global importance and ramifications. There is a concerted effort not to designate every year - for fiscal reasons and to avoid any process of trivialization. The following is the chronological list of years designated to date:
| 1959/60 | World Refugee Year |
| 1965 | International Cooperation Year |
| 1967 | International Tourism Year |
| 1968 | International Year for Human Rights |
| 1970 | International Education Year |
| 1971 | International Year for Action to Combat Racism & Racial Discrimination |
| 1974 | World Population Year |
| 1975 | International Women’s Year |
| 1978 | International Anti-Apartheid Year |
| 1979 | International Year of the Child |
| 1981 | International Year of Disabled Persons |
| 1982 | International Year of Mobilisation for Sanctions Against South Africa |
| 1983 | World Communications Year |
| 1985 | International Youth Year |
| 1986 | International Year of Peace |
| 1987 | International Year of Shelter for the Homeless |
| 1990 | International Literacy Year |
| 1992 | International Space Year (endorsed, not declared) |
| 1993 | International Year for World’s Indigenous People |
| 1994 | International Year of the Family; and International Year of Sport & Olympic Ideal |
| 1995 | United Nations Year for Tolerance |
| 1996 | International Year for the Eradication of Poverty |
| 1998 | International Year of the Ocean |
| 1999 | International Year of Older Persons; and Centennial of the First International Peace Conference |
| 2000 | International Year for the Culture of Peace; and International Year of Thanksgiving |
| 2001 | International Year of Volunteers; and United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations; and International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance |
| 2002 | International Year of Mountains; and International Year of Culture Heritage; and International Year of Ecotourism (http://www.world-tourism.org/index.htm or http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/ecotourism/iye.htm) |
| 2003 | International Year of Freshwater |
| 2004 | International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and Its Abolition; and International Year of Rice |
| 2005 | International Year of Microcredit; and International Year for Sport and Physical Education |
| 2006 | International Year of Deserts and Desertification |
| 2008 | International Year of the Potato; and International Year of Planet Earth; and International Year of Sanitation; and International Year of Languages |
| 2009 | International Year of Human Rights Learning - from 10 December 2008 (Human Rights Day) to 10 December 2009 International Year of Reconciliation; and International Year of Natural Fibres; and International Year of Astronomy |
| 2010 | International Year of Biodiversity; and International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding - from 12 August 2010 (International Youth Day) to 11 August 2011 |
| 2011 | International Year of Forests; and International Year of Chemistry; and International Year for People of African Descent |
| 2012 | International Year of Cooperatives |
For further information, we suggest you visit the UN's Conferences and Events site. Specifically you should check out "Conferences and Observances" in the "Background Information" section. (As the UN changes the URL of this page at least once a year we choose not to give you a direct link that may soon become dated.)
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