International Day of Peace 2024; September 21st.

FORUM: “Cultivating a Culture of Peace.” International Day of Peace 2024. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. In that declaration, the United Nations’ most inclusive body recognized that peace “not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.” In a world with rising geopolitical tensions and protracted conflicts, there has never been a better time to remember how the UN General Assembly came together in 1999 to lay out the values needed for a culture of peace. These include: respect for life, human rights and fundamental freedoms; the promotion of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation; commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts; and adherence to freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations. In follow-up resolutions, the General Assembly recognized further the importance of choosing negotiations over confrontation and of working together and not against each other. The Constitution of the UNESCO starts with the notion that “wars begin in the minds of men so it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”. It is this notion that framed the theme and logo of this year’s observance of the International Day of Peace. The ideas of peace, the culture of peace, need to be cultivated in the minds of children and communities through formal and informal education, across countries and generations. The International Day of Peace has always been a time to lay down weapons and observe ceasefires. But it now must also be a time for people to see each other’s humanity. Our survival as a global community depends on that. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #Peaceday, #sustainingpeace, #InternationalDayofPeace, #21September.

EVENTS: On September 21st will held at United Nations Headquarters, a ceremony to observe the International Day of Peace 2024. Several events are being held throughout the world to observe the Day. Get the List of worldwide events!

On september 13th; The programme will begin with the traditional Peace Bell Ceremony in the Peace Garden at 9:00 a.m. EDT, the U.N. Secretary-General and the General Assembly President will ring the Peace Bell to mark the 43nd Anniversary of the International Day of Peace. Watch the livestream!

PUBLICATION: A snapshot of the global state of peace. The average level of country peacefulness deteriorated by 0.56 per cent. Read the 2024 Global Peace Index, a report provided by the Institute for economics and Peace (IEP).

STATEMENTS: Read the statement of the U.N. Secretary-General Message for the International Day of Peace 2024; September 21th.

Everywhere we look, peace is under attack.
From Gaza, to Sudan, to Ukraine and beyond we see:
Civilians in the firing line;
Homes blown apart;
Traumatised, terrified populations who have lost everything – and sometimes everyone.
This catalogue of human misery must stop.
Our world needs peace.
Peace is the ultimate prize for all humanity.
And as this International Day of Peace reminds us – the solutions are in our hands.
Cultivating a culture of peace means replacing division, disempowerment, and despair with justice, equality and hope for all.
It means focusing on preventing conflict;
Propelling the Sustainable Development Goals;
Promoting human rights.
And tackling all forms of discrimination and hate.
This month’s Summit of the Future is a vital opportunity to advance these aims.
Let’s seize it.
Together, let’s lay the groundwork for peace.
And let’s nurture a culture where equality, peace and justice thrive.

António Guterres.

Secretary-General's remarks to the UN Peace Bell Ceremony. On 13 September 2024, as delivered
Secretary-General's 100-day countdown to the International Day of Peace message.

Every year on 21 September, the United Nations invites the world to mark the International Day of Peace. This year’s focus is on “Cultivating a culture of peace”.

In a world mired by conflict, inequalities and discrimination, we must strive ever harder to promote dialogue, empathy and human rights for all.

As we begin the 100-day countdown to Peace Day, let us plant the seeds for non-violence, justice and hope.

António Guterres.