International Day of Peace - 21 September 2018

Today, 21 September 2018, marks the International Day of Peace. The General Assembly of the UN declares the day as being dedicated to strengthening peace within and among all nations and peoples.

The theme of this year’s International Day of Peace “The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70”, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The declaration was a landmark document in global history and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 as a common standard of achievement for all people and nations around the world.

António Guterres, Secretary-General, emphasised the declaration’s importance today:

“It is time all nations and all people live up to the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognises the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human race. This year marks the 70th anniversary of that landmark document.”

The World Bank estimates that two billion people live in countries where development outcomes are affected by fragility, conflict, and violence. The number of extreme poor living in conflict situations is expected to rise by over 60% by 2030.

Around the world conflicts drive 80% of all humanitarian needs and reduce gross domestic product growth by an average of 2 percentage points each year.

This year on International Day of Peace the United Nations is urging people to share what “The Right to Peace” means to them and take action to enable a peaceful and just world.

The United Nations encourages everyone to support SDG 16 “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions” by seeking peaceful resolution to conflicts, preventing injustices around you and promoting human rights.

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Image credit: United Nations