International Day of Peace — 21 September
Act Now for a Peaceful World — carry the work forward
Provisional display: confirm the current year's theme at un.org/en/observances/international-day-peace before citing. Confirm at the UN observance page. Campaign material must not overwhelm this permanent resource.
Why 21 September exists
1981 — established. General Assembly Resolution 36/67 (30 Nov 1981) created an International Day of Peace, first observed on the opening day of the Assembly session (third Tuesday of September). Resolution record.
2001 — fixed and deepened. Resolution 55/282 fixed 21 September and declared it a day of global cease-fire and non-violence. Text dated 7 Sept, adopted 28 Sept 2001 — weeks after 9/11. Resolution record.
Observance: Peace Bell ceremony at UN Headquarters, Secretary-General message, and educational events worldwide. Humanitarian pauses have been called in its name with uneven compliance — a norm, not an enforced truce.
Follow the thread: 1981 establishment · 2001 designation · Res. 36/67 · Res. 55/282 · timeline.
Annual themes (dated archive)
| Act Now for a Peaceful World — carry the work forward Provisional display: confirm the current year's theme at un.org/en/observances/international-day-peace before citing. | |
| Act Now for a Peaceful World As published by the UN for 2025. | |
| Cultivating a Culture of Peace 25th anniversary of the UN Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (1999). | |
| Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals | |
| End racism. Build peace. | |
| Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world | |
| Shaping Peace Together UN75; first largely virtual observance during COVID-19. | |
| Climate Action for Peace | |
| The Right to Peace 70th anniversary of the UDHR. | |
| Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All Aligned with the TOGETHER refugee/migrant initiative. | |
| The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace | |
| Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All linked to the newly adopted 2030 Agenda. |
Themes sourced from the UN observance page; the 2026 line is provisional until confirmed at un.org each September.