The International Day of Peace is observed around the world each year on 21 September. It was established in 1981 by a unanimous United Nations resolution. It provides globally shared date for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences and contribute to building a Culture of Peace. In the face of a pandemic, it is all the more important to observe this day to recover in a more peaceful and resilient manner.
The theme for 2021: Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world
As we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we should collectively create a more equitable, just, and resilient future for ourselves. We should acknowledge the interconnected world that we live in and that mutual cooperation and peace is the only way in which we can build a resilient future for ourselves. It became obvious that any challenge attacks the entire humanity without caring about where we are from and what we believe in.
The pandemic has been accompanied by a surge in stigma, discrimination, and hatred, which only cost more lives instead of saving them. In confronting humankind’s current and future challenges, we must be reminded that we are not each other’s enemy. To be able to recover from the devastation of the pandemic, we must make peace with one another and with nature.
As the theme for this year suggests, we must focus on celebrating peace by standing up against acts of hate online and offline and by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the pandemic, and as we recover.
Related Documents
- General Assembly Resolution on International Year of Peace and International Day of Peace (A/RES/36/67)
- General Assembly Resolution on International Day of Peace (A/RES/55/282)
- Security Council Resolution S/RES/2250 (2015) on Youth, Peace and Security
- Security Council Resolution S/RES/1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security
- Uniting for Peace – General Assembly Resolution 377 (V)
- United Nations Conflict Prevention and Preventive Diplomacy in Action
Related Links
- Peace and Security
- Secretary-General’s Appeal for Global Ceasefire
- Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- Youth, Peace and Security
- Youth 4 Disarmament
- Rule of Law
- Messengers of Peace
- UN iLibrary Peace Collection
- UN Bookshop Translating War into Peace Collection
For more information, please see here.
Shristi Banerjee
Lawyer, Jharkhand High Court (India)
Global Representative (India), Roya Institute of Global Justice