International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to Victims of Terrorism 2026; August 21st.

FORUM: "Healing through Memory." International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to Victims of Terrorism 2026. The General Assembly, in its resolution 72/165 (2017), proclaimed August 21st as International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. The focus of the International Day is to honour, remember, and pay tribute to the victims of terrorism by standing in solidarity and promoting and protecting their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Selected in consultation with the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN), this year’s theme recognises that acts of remembrance and memorialisation are not merely about looking back, but are essential for the dignity, recognition and long-term healing of survivors. By preserving stories and fostering empathy, collective memory can strengthen social cohesion and contribute to the prevention of future violence. To achieve this, commemorations must be respectful, victim-centred, and trauma-informed, ensuring they honor survivors without causing further harm. The International Day serves both as a tribute and a call to action. It honours the courage, resilience and leadership of victims and survivors while encouraging Member States, international organizations, civil society, educators, media professionals, and technology companies to promote responsible approaches to remembrance that uphold victims' rights and contribute to healing and prevention. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #UNiteforVictimsofTerrorism, #UNCCT, #VictimsofTerrorism, #21August, #HealingthroughMemory.

EVENT: On Friday; August 21st, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. EDT to mark the ninth International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, the United Nations will host a high-level virtual event under the theme "Healing through Memory." The event will feature keynote remarks from Secretary-General António Guterres and opening remarks from the Acting Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Alexandre Zouev. It will also include reflections from victims and survivors of terrorism on the role of remembrance in healing and recovery, and a Global Minute of Silence to honour victims and survivors worldwide. The event will also mark the launch of a new victim-led initiative by members of the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN). Developed by victims and survivors worldwide, this project examines online harms experienced by victims of terrorism and presents recommendations for technology platforms to promote more victim-centred and trauma-informed digital spaces that prevent re-traumatisation. The event will be broadcast live and on-demand on UN WebTV. Stay tuned to Watch the livestream!

Agenda Programme of the High-Level Commemorative Event 

21 August 2026 

10.00- 11.15 am EDT (New York time)
10:00 a.m. - Welcome remarks and moderation of event

• H.E. Mr. Lukman Al Faily, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations and Co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism

10:03 a.m. - Keynote remarks

Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
10:05 a.m. - Opening remarks

• Mr. Alexandre Zouev, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism,United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)

10:10 a.m. - Victims’ Voices - “Healing through Memory”
Four victims of terrorism share reflections on remembrance, memorialization, and the role of
memory in healing and recovery

1. Mr. Joseph Pfiefer (USA)
2. Ms. Saynab Warsame (Somalia)
3. Ms. Rachel Goldberg-Polin (Israel/USA)
4. Ms. Yassmine Bouzidi (Morocco)

10:25 a.m. - Global Minute of Silence
10:26 a.m. - Statement on behalf of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism

• H.E. Ms. Ana Jiménez de la Hoz, Deputy Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations and Co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism

10:30 a.m. End of High-Level Segment
10:30 a.m. Launch of "Building a Safer Internet for Victims of Terrorism”

Panel discussion on VoTAN’s recommendations for addressing online harms affecting victims and
survivors of terrorism
Moderator: Ms. Sian Hutchinson, Officer-in-Charge, Preventing and Countering Violent
Extremism Section, UNOCT

• Ms. Odette Chesnot (Victims of Terrorism Associations Network)
• Ms. Maysoon Salama (Victims of Terrorism Associations Network)
• Ms. Naureen Chowdhury Fink (Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism)
• Ms. Emily Knowles (UNOCT/UNCCT Victims of Terrorism Programme)

11.10 a.m. - VoTAN video: “Healing Through Memory”

Featuring reflections from VoTAN members on the role of memory and remembrance in healing and recovery

11:15 a.m. Music performed by the UN Chamber Music Society

Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622, II. Adagio, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Media and Communications: Victims of terrorism, victims' associations, Member States, civil society organizations and United Nations partners are encouraged to create social media content to commemorate the International Day on their platforms, using the hashtag #UNiteforVictimsofTerrorism. A Trello board with communications assets will be provided by UNOCT. Communication activities will promote respectful, victim-centred, trauma-informed and responsible remembrance while highlighting the importance of preserving victims' stories and experiences for future generations. More information about the International Day will be available on the dedicated page on the UNOCT website and on the main UN Observances page. For more information, please contact Ms. Laurence Gerard, Public Information Officer, at gerardl@un.org.

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism 2026, August 21st.

Today, we pay tribute to the victims and survivors of terrorism. We honour their courage; amplify their voices; and reaffirm our commitment to their dignity and rights. This year’s theme, “Healing through Memory”, reminds us that remembrance is a pathway to recovery and renewal.

But how we remember matters. Victims’ stories must never be exploited or used to sow more hate, including on digital platforms. When we commemorate responsibly, we protect victims from further trauma and counter the harmful narratives terrorism seeks to spread.

Instead of letting terror divide us, we can and must stay united. Today and every day, let us stand in solidarity with victims and survivors. And build a future free from violence and fear.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’.

COMMUNICATION MATERIALS: Digital assets and other campaign tools are available on the Trello board.

Useful Resources: Press release & Media Advisory

LIVESTREAM: The Observance of the ninth International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.

Partnerships: The UNOCT/UNCCT Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme leads the organization of all commemorative activities for International Day, in collaboration with the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism, and in partnership with the United Nations Department of Global Communications and the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact Working Group on Promoting and Protecting Human Rights and the Rule of Law while Countering Terrorism and Supporting Victims of Terrorism

International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Condustive to Terrorism 2026; February 12th.

FORUM:“Preventing Violent Extremism in the Digital Age: Anticipating New and EmergingTechnologies Risks and Opportunities, Safeguarding Human Rights, and EmpoweringFuture Generations” International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Condustive to Terrorism 2026. The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 77/243, designating 12 February as the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive toTerrorism in December 2022. This resolution underscores the importance of raising awareness about the threats linked to violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism and fostering international cooperation in this regard. It reaffirmed that terrorism and violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization, or ethnic group, reflecting commitment to human rights and inclusivity. Furthermore, the resolution emphasizes the primary responsibility of Member States and their national institutions in countering terrorism, in full compliance with their obligations under international human rights law, while acknowledging the critical role of intergovernmental organizations, civil society, academia, religious leaders, and the media in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #12february, #extremists, #violentextremism, #counterterrorism, #PVEDay.

EVENTS: On February 12th, from 10:00am–11:30am, Conference Room 5 (TBC) at the United Nations Headquarters, New York will be heald the observance of the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conduciveto Terrorism 2026  which will provide an opportunity for the international community to come together and reaffirm the importance of prevention.Digital transformation, including artificial intelligence, algorithmic systems, evolving social media ecosystems, and emerging online spaces, is reshaping how communities connect, communicate and form identities. While new and emerging technologies hold tremendous promises for advancing human development and accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, they also generate significant risks Terrorist actors have quickly recognized the potential of these technologies and increasingly exploit them to recruit and radicalize, spread harmful narratives, and mobilize for violence1 . New forms of technologically facilitated violent extremism, such as leaderless networks, gamified radicalization to violence , and AI-generated disinformation and misinformation, are creating an increasingly complex prevention landscape. In this rapidly evolving context, the special event to mark the 2026 International Day for the Preventionof Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism will seek to discuss and showcase the solutions, partnerships, and programmatic efforts that are being put in place to translate global commitments into concrete prevention outcomes. Against the backdrop of the UN80 initiative, which underscores the imperative for a more integrated, agile and results-oriented United Nations system, the 2026 observance will also serve as a strategic moment in the lead-up to the 9th Review of the United Nations GlobalCounter-Terrorism Strategy, scheduled for mid-2026. Building on the 8 th review of the Strategy, which expressed concern over the potential use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes and reaffirmed the need for Governments and the international community to enhance cooperation to prevent and counter terrorism in a coordinated, inclusive, transparent and human rights-based, gender-responsive manner, this year’s observance offers a timely opportunity to deepen this discussion. With the Strategy approaching its twentieth anniversary and the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism having recently marked its tenth anniversary, the International PVE Day will offer an opportunity for Member States and the United Nations system to assess progress, reaffirm collective commitments, and identify priority actions to strengthen prevention efforts and build resilient, peaceful and cohesive societies for present and future generations. Register to participae!

LIVESTREAM:

Special Commemoration Event for International PVE Day – "Preventing Violent Extremism in the Digital Age: Anticipating New and Emerging Technologies Risks and Opportunities, Safeguarding Human Rights, and Empowering Future Generations"

 

 From Principles to Practice: Special Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism

 

Statement of the United Nations Secretary General on the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism 2026; February 12th.

Today, we reaffirm our shared resolve to prevent violent extremism and shield communities from the scourge of terrorism.

Terrorist groups routinely exploit instability, runaway technologies, and socio-economic fragility to target and intimidate vulnerable groups. Young people, including children, are increasingly susceptible to radicalization through online social media platforms and unregulated gaming environments.

Both the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which is marking its twentieth anniversary this year, and the United Nations Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, which is marking its tenth anniversary, remind us that stronger security measures alone are not enough.

We must get at the source of the problem, through renewed efforts to address grievances and the conditions conducive to terrorism by strengthening education systems, expanding civic space, and fostering dialogue and trust among and within communities.

It also means working with all stakeholders, including the private sector and technology companies, to build guardrails that can prevent violent extremism.

All these efforts must be rooted in human rights and the rule of law, so every person has a voice in shaping their society’s future.

Together, let’s build resilient and inclusive communities where violent extremism finds no foothold, and peace prevails for all.

António Guterres.

International Human Solidarity Day 2025; December 20th.

FORUM: “A call for unity and action.” International Human Solidarity Day 2025. Solidarity is the principle that recognizes our common humanity and the interconnectedness of our destinies. It highlights the need for collective effort, cooperation, and mutual understanding to solve complex challenges such as poverty, hunger, climate change, and conflict. This day serves as an opportunity to celebrate achievements made through solidarity and to recommit to building a more just and equitable world. To promote human solidarity, it is important to actively engage in your community, and get involved in different activities and events. This means helping out and supporting causes that help people who are in need. By doing this, we can bring people from different backgrounds together and help them understand each other better. It’s also important to support local projects that help address homelessness, education, and health. In this way, we show compassion for our community members, making sure every individual is cared for. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #SolidarityDay, #20December, #HumanSolidarityDay, #TheWorldWeWant, #PromotingSolidarity, #LeaveNoOneBehind.

EVENTS: On December 20th, the United Nations system organizations will hold a virtual event to discuss the values of unity, kindness, and diversity to mark the International Human Solidarity Day 2025 at the UNHQ. The Observance of the International Human Solidarity Day is a special day that reminds us that we are all part of the same human family. It teaches us the importance of working together and helping each other. When we work together in solidarity, we can overcome any problem or difficulty. The celebration of this day will encourage us to think about how we can make the world a better place for everyone. Register to participate!

 

Our planet is under strain like never before: Temperatures are rising, biodiversity is collapsing, and nearly every person on Earth breathes unsafe air.

Yet there is hope.

Now is the time to invest in resilience, commit to justice, and remember what we are fighting for.

Sustainability is the bedrock on which all our other ambitions rest. Peace, prosperity, equality — none of these exist without a planet to exist on.

Now is the time for courage and creativity.

We must rapidly scale solutions on a range of challenges — from water management and climate resilience, to mining metals and the environmental footprint of Artificial Intelligence.

With the tide turning in favor of renewables, and the help of the next generation, transformation is within reach. We must transform broken systems, unite policy with science, and share solutions with all.

Now is the time set humanity on a path to protect our only home, for generations to come.

United Nations Secretary-General.

International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism 2025; August 21st.

FORUM: “United by Hope: Collective Action for Victims of Terrorism.” International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism 2025.The Day is both a tribute and a call to action, honoring victims’ resilience and leadership, while reaffirming our shared responsibility to uphold their rights. Only through sustained collaboration can we build truly inclusive, victim-centered responses to terrorism. United by hope, we can make a lasting impact. Together, victims are transforming grief into purpose, building a global movement that demands inclusion, recognition, and lasting peace.The 2025 theme, inspired by members of the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN), emphasizes the hope that emerges when victims come together to transform pain into purpose. United across regions, cultures, and experiences, victims and survivors are offering mutual support, amplifying one another’s voices, and driving collective action to raise awareness, influence policy, and ensure their rights and needs are placed at the center of counter-terrorism efforts. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #UNCCT, #VictimsofTerrorism, #21August, #FindingHope, #BuildingaPeacefulFuture, #UNiteforVictimsofTerrorism.

EVENTS: On August 21st, at 10:00 am EDT, at UN Headquarters, a high-level event will be held, organized by members of the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN), the event aims to emphasize the hope that emerges when victims come together to transform pain into purpose. To mark the eighth International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, the United Nations will organize a pre-recorded high-level virtual event titled “United by Hope: Collective Action for Victims of Terrorism.” The High-Level Segment will feature the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres keynote message followed by opening remarks from the Under-Secretary-General for the Office of Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov. The segment will also include a statement by the Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism, the screening of the Victims of Terrorism Association Network (VoTAN) film, and a Global Minute of Silence honouring victims worldwide. Following the high-level segment, a virtual panel discussion will gather victims and survivors of terrorism from diverse regional and personal backgrounds to explore how survivor leadership, peer-to-peer collaboration, and joint advocacy can strengthen global efforts to uphold victims’ rights and build more inclusive, resilient societies. Get the concept note and agenda programme and Register to participate!

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism 2025; August 21st.

On this solemn day, we honour the victims and survivors of terrorism everywhere – saluting their courage, acknowledging their pain, and reaffirming our enduring commitment to peace, justice, and human rights.

This year’s theme, “United by Hope,” reflects the strength of victims coming together to turn suffering into solidarity, and anguish into action.

Victims of terrorism are showing the way: supporting one another, speaking out, and championing the rights of all those affected.

I welcome the launch of the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network – supported by the United Nations – which fosters partnership, amplifies victims’ voices, and empowers them to shape decisions that affect their lives.

Governments, civil society, and the international community must match their courage – by upholding victims’ rights, delivering justice, and standing with them at every step of their healing journey.

United by hope, we can build a future free from terrorism, where all people live in dignity and without fear.

 United Nations Secretary-General.

 Statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism on the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism 2025, 

“One of the many ways people fall victim to terrorism is through the traumatic experiences of being forced to flee from their homes. Violence, forced recruitment, abduction and enslavement of women and girls, threats and extortion by terrorist groups can compel people to seek safety elsewhere in a country or even across borders.Displacement often occurs in fragile, conflict-affected and low-income States who have limited capacity to prevent it or provide humanitarian assistance and solutions to the victims.

Displacement has cascading impacts on human rights. While it may improve physical safety – though this is not always the case – it separates people from their homes, livelihoods, schools, health care, support networks and even family members.

Over the past year, I have met with many victims of forced displacement in Somalia, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin and heard about their struggles to rebuild safe and dignified lives. Some had experienced repeated cycles of displacement, including due to forced evictions, disasters, and violence. Forced displacement has also occurred elsewhere in West Africa and in the Sahel, including Nigeria, as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The legacy of forced displacement is still raw after recent conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. Tens of thousands of displaced people, mainly women and children, remain detained in North-East Syria. Over half of the 2.1 million displaced people who have recently returned to Afghanistan were forced to leave by Iran and Pakistan, where they had earlier sought refuge without other countries sharing responsibility for them.

People are forced to move not only because of terrorist threats, but also due to security operations by States while countering terrorism and the climate of insecurity during armed conflicts. International humanitarian law exceptionally allows the temporary displacement of civilians to ensure their safety or for imperative security reasons. Regrettably, some States have forcibly displaced civilians as an illegal tactic of war, including Israel in Gaza. Such forced displacements can also constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity and may even be an instrument of ethnic cleansing.

Counter-terrorism campaigns can also escalate into wider conflicts resulting in displacement. Recent examples include the hostilities between India and Pakistan after India responded to a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, and Israel’s targeting of Iranian nuclear facilities partly under the guise of preventing terrorism.

The UN Model Legislative Provisions to Support the Needs and Protect the Rights of Victims of Terrorism emphasize the need to equally recognize the victims of terrorism as well as of State human rights violations while countering terrorism.

In country visits, I found that internally displaced people, refugees and asylum seekers often face serious difficulties in accessing clean water, adequate food, decent shelter, quality schooling, livelihood opportunities, and land for cultivation or livestock. Many reported receiving little outside assistance and some lacked the documents necessary to exercise their legal rights.

Accessing healthcare is particularly challenging, with people being forced to borrow money to pay for their children’s treatment. There were significant unmet needs for the treatment of people traumatized by violence, including unacknowledged sexual and gender-based violence. Displacement also increases vulnerability to sexual violence, particularly for women and girls.

It was distressing to witness “lost generations” of children deprived of even basic education, seriously impeding their life opportunities and freedoms, and aggravating the risk of terrorist recruitment.

Some communities faced stigmatization and discrimination, including unfounded suspicions of associating with terrorists. Journalists reporting on conflicts, and human rights defenders, have also been threatened by terrorist groups and intimidated and arbitrarily detained by authorities as terrorist sympathizers.

Local communities reported being under stress from hosting displaced people, given population pressures, resource competition, and scarcity of public services. Host communities need to be adequately supported alongside displaced people.

Governments in low-income countries often make considerable efforts to support displaced people, including generously hosting refugees, aided by international humanitarian organizations and donor countries.

Many displaced people still reported receiving little outside assistance. The alarming global cuts to foreign aid, coupled with the United Nations liquidity crisis, are seriously undermining efforts to assist them. In Somalia, among the world’s least developed countries, aid cuts recently forced the country’s few rape crisis centres to close, excluding victims of conflict-related violence from this vital service.

I call on donor countries not to turn away from the victims of terrorism and counter-terrorism in their hour of greatest need.

Governments must also fulfil their responsibilities towards displaced persons in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, including in relation to the prevention of displacement, assistance during displacement, and assistance during return, resettlement and reintegration. The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (known as Kampala Convention) should also be fully implemented.

Finally, the past year has seen an alarming resort to counter-terrorism pretexts to summarily expel foreign nationals, including asylum seekers, in breach of the duty of non-refoulement and the prohibition on arbitrary expulsion. In the United States, this has been carried out through the improper listing of organized criminal groups as “terrorist organizations” and abusively invoking war-time expulsion powers. Mass expulsions from neighbouring countries to Afghanistan were also partly based on unfounded security grounds.

Today, on the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to Victims of Terrorism, I urge all States to recommit to the protection of human rights affected by terrorism and counter-terrorism, in line with the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The international community must redouble efforts to assist displaced people, particularly in low-income, conflict-affected States, as among the most disadvantaged and marginalized of all victims.”

Mr. Ben Saul,UN Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.

LIVESTREAM: 2025 Commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to Victims of Terrorism (21 August).

This year will mark the eighth commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. Amid the multiplicity of violent conflicts and terrorist attacks worldwide, this day continues to honour victims and survivors of terrorism, ensure their voices are elevated, raise awareness and highlight global solidarity. By amplifying the voices and experiences of victims, the International Day seeks to inspire collective action and empower individuals and communities to work towards a future defined by peace, solidarity, and resilience. This year's theme "United by Hope: Collective Action for Victims of Terrorism", is inspired by members of the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN) and emphasizes the hope that emerges when victims come together to transform pain into purpose. United by shared experiences across regions, cultures, and communities, victims and victims' associations are leading the way; offering mutual support, amplifying each other's voices, and advancing collective action that drives change for communities, countries, and at the international level.