Gauthier Delomez / Photo credits: Xose Bouzas / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 5:55 p.m., March 27, 2024

The news very often lives to the rhythm of world days, dedicated for example to happiness (March 20), to world peace (September 21) or to water, a precious resource of our planet (March 22). But who decides to establish these different days on a global scale?

Happiness, peace, water... Almost every day of the calendar is marked by an international day devoted to a specific theme. For example, happiness is celebrated every March 20, peace every September 21, and water every March 22. In total, there are a myriad of world days over an entire calendar year (the Wikipedia site lists a certain number here).

Days proposed by UN member states

It is first of all the United Nations which decides on the creation of a themed day. “International days are proposed to the United Nations General Assembly by the Member States. The General Assembly decides by consensus on any new day,” details the official UN website. When a day is accepted, it is then “proclaimed” by the UN General Assembly.

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In practice, other organizations dependent on the UN, like UNESCO, can create events of this type "to attract public attention to more specialized subjects, for example in the field of health or intellectual property matters. Thus, World Press Freedom Day (May 3) was first proclaimed by UNESCO and then adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. There are more than 200 days initiated by the UN and its institutions.

A myriad of international days since 1947

If the United Nations indicates that the existence of these days is “prior” to its creation, in 1945, it is indeed this global organization which popularized them. The very first proclaimed by the General Assembly was that of the United Nations, in 1947, which is celebrated on October 24, two years to the day after the entry into force of the United Nations charter.

Since then, many themes have been highlighted in this way on a global scale, such as human rights since 1950. These are the subject of an international day on December 10, in reference to the date of the adoption by the UN of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in 1948. Many dates of international days are chosen with reference to past events, like that devoted to women's rights on March 8, one of the most popular in the world.

In addition to the UN, other actors have popularized world days

Concretely, these days represent “an opportunity to inform the general public on themes linked to major issues such as fundamental rights, sustainable development or heritage”, explain the United Nations. “These days are an opportunity for public authorities, but also civil society, to organize awareness-raising activities and mobilize resources.”

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Note that other actors, who are not part of the UN, have also created world days on their own. This is the case in the United States with Hugs Day, launched by an American reverend in the 1980s. The Vatican has also established a global day for world peace, every January 1st.

Creating a themed day is finally a way for activist associations or parties to make their voice heard. There are also slightly more offbeat themes, sometimes for advertising purposes, like International Raclette Day, every December 13, which was designed in 2018.