The UN calendar is cluttered with special days aimed at raising awareness on issues such as AIDS, human rights and even TV, with 55 planned for this year -- the year of rice in the decade of literacy.
Starting with International Mother Language Day on Feb. 21 through to International Migrants Day on Dec. 18, the UN or one of its agencies is kept busy throughout the year arranging media events and campaigns to coincide with a particular day.
October, which opens on International Day of Older Persons, is the most hectic month of the year with 10 special days, including those dedicated to food, postal services, mental health and teachers.
The first ever day to be created by the UN General Assembly also takes place in October -- United Nations Day on Oct. 24, which has been observed since 1947, two years after its charter came into force.
In addition, Oct. 4 to Oct. 10 is recognized as World Space Week.
"These days are created to get an issue on the international agenda," said Susan Markham, chief of the communications campaigns service at the UN's department of public information in New York.
"There are an enormous number of international days," she admitted.
"But let's face it, every year it seems we get more on the calendar, so member states must find them of interest and use," she said.
Any of the UN's 191 member countries can ask for a day to be set aside for a particular cause, a move that is usually made to mark the adoption of a landmark document at a UN conference.
For example, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26 was created following the adoption of a global action plan against drugs in 1987.
Suggestions for new days go before the General Assembly, which meets annually from September to December and has the power to decide whether or not to endorse them.
Although highlighted on the UN calendar, many special days are not observed every year on a global scale, such as the World Day for Water on March 22, which received special attention last year because it was the year of water, but which usually passes without much fanfare, said Markham.
"Some days are on the calendar but are only really observed in some countries or by certain NGOs and may not even be observed at UN headquarters," she said.
In contrast, other days such as World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 or Human Rights Day on Dec. 10 have become hugely important, uniting communities around the world and encouraging governments to launch campaigns on a particular issue.
The most recently created day -- adopted by the UN late last month -- is International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, which will be marked on April 7 this year alone. It may become an annual feature if the assembly decides to extend its life span.
Markham was unaware of other new international days in the pipeline, but said there was still plenty of time for countries to put forward suggestions.
One possibility might be a day of digital solidarity, as declared by Senegal's president Abdoulaye Wade at a UN information summit held in Geneva a month ago.
Not content with just creating special days, the UN has also dedicated whole weeks, years and even decades to increasing global awareness on certain issues.
2004 is the International Year of Rice as well as the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition.
Next year sees the turn of microcredit and also sport, while 2006 will be dedicated to deserts.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
NO EXCUSES: Marcos said his administration was acting on voters’ demands, but an academic said the move was emotionally motivated after a poor midterm showing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday sought the resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries, in a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda and assert his authority over the second half of his single six-year term. The order came after the president’s allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the 12 polls on Monday last week, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028. “He’s talking to the people, trying to salvage whatever political capital he has left. I think it’s
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
RSS