Archives
International Day of Older Persons (1 October 2011)
On 14 December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly (by resolution 45/106) designated 1 October the International Day of Older Persons. The theme of the year 2011's commemoration is "Launch of Madrid+10: The Growing Opportunities & Challenges of Global Ageing".
GA High-level meeting on Desertification
Taking place in the context of the UN Decade for Deserts and the Fights against Desertification (2010-2020), the high-level meeting aims to raise awareness of desertification, land degradation and drought at the highest level. It also seeks to contribute to the preparation of the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012 (Rio+20).
Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF)
The Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) was established by the Secretary-General in 2005 and endorsed by the General Assembly through the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which was adopted by consensus in 2006. The mandate of the CTITF is to enhance coordination and coherence of counter-terrorism efforts of the United Nations system.
International Day of Peace (21 September 2011)
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. This year - on its 30th anniversary - the Day’s theme is “Peace and Democracy: make your voice heard”.
50th Anniversary of the Death of Dag Hammarskjöld
On 18 September 1961, 50 years ago, Dag Hammarskjöld, Secretary-General of the United Nations, died in a plane crash near Ndola, Northern Rhodesia, along with 15 others.
Presidency of the Security Council
The Presidency of the Security Council during the month of June is held by Lebanon. The Presidency rotates monthly based on the list of Member States of the Security Council, in the English alphabetical order of their names.
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances (30 August)
Enforced disappearance has frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror within the society. Enforced disappearance has become a global problem and is not restricted to a specific region of the world. .
Ask the Secretary-General
Please join us in a global conversation with the UN Secretary-General, streamed live on Facebook, Twitter, Weibo, Livestream and UN Webcast. Join in to ask the UN Secretary-General any questions you have about the United Nations and its work, such as: What more can we do to stop wars from breaking out? What can one individual do in the fight against climate change? What’s it like to be Secretary-General of the UN? .
2011 High Level Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases
A high-level meeting of the General Assembly willl be held 19-20 September 2011 in New York, to address the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases worldwide, with a focus on developmental and other challenges and social and economic impacts, particularly for developing countries.
Presidency of the Security Council
The Presidency of the Security Council during the month of August is held by India. The Presidency rotates monthly based on the list of Member States of the Security Council, in the English alphabetical order of their names.
International Day of Friendship, 30 July
The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
Nelson Mandela International Day 2011: "Take Action, Inspire Change"
This year on 18 July - Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday - the UN joined a call by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to devote 67 minutes of time to helping others, as a way to mark Nelson Mandela International Day, which recognizes the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.
Millennium Development Goals Report 2011 
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Significant strides have been made towards the Millennium Development Goals, yet reaching all the goals by the 2015 deadline remains challenging, as the world's poorest are being left behind, according to the MDG Report for 2011, the UN's annual report on progress made towards reaching the MDG goals.
Presidency of the Security Council
The Presidency of the Security Council during the month of July is held by Germany. The Presidency rotates monthly based on the list of Member States of the Security Council, in the English alphabetical order of their names.
International Widows' Day
The first International Widows’ Day is being observed 23 June 2011, providing an opportunity to give special recognition to the plight of widows and their children in order to restore their human rights and alleviate poverty through empowerment and to give special attention to the situation of widows and their children.
Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, 10th Anniversary, High-level GA Meeting
The UN General Assembly will hold a one day high-level meeting in New York on 22 September 2011, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the international community's blueprint for action to fight racism. A one-day event at the level of Heads of State and Government, the meeting will take the form of a plenary session and a series of round table discussions.
The United Nations and Decolonization
In a vast political reshaping of the world, more than 80 former colonies comprising some 750 million people have gained independence since the creation of the United Nations. The United Nations and Decolonization website has been completely overhauled. Now available in all six official languages, it includes a historical narrative, relevant documents, press releases, and photo galleries.
Presidency of the Security Council
The Presidency of the Security Council during the month of June is held by Gabon. The Presidency rotates monthly based on the list of Member States of the Security Council, in the English alphabetical order of their names.
International Day of UN Peacekeepers, 29 May
UN peacekeeping works to improve the rule of law in hotspots around the world. The deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping mission can offer hope for a transition from chaos to calm. But for true security to take root, peacekeepers must do more than separate warring parties and disarm combatants. They must strengthen the institutions responsible for security and justice – the police, the courts and the correctional institutions – with full respect for the rule of law and human rights.
International Week of Solidarity with Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories May 25-31
The UN General Assembly has requested the annual observance of the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories. In the UN Charter, a Non-Self-Governing Territory is defined as a Territory “whose people have not yet attained a full measure of self-government”.
2011 High-Level Meeting on AIDS
Thirty years into the AIDS epidemic, and 10 years since the landmark UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, the world will come together to review progress and chart the future course of the global AIDS response at the 2011 UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS from 8–10 June 2011 in New York.
Presidency of the Security Council
The Presidency of the Security Council during the month of May is held by France. The Presidency rotates monthly based on the list of Member States of the Security Council, in the English alphabetical order of their names.
Remember the Fallen
Serving the cause of peace in a violent world is a dangerous occupation. Since the founding of the United Nations, hundreds of brave men and women have lost their lives in its service. Here we remember those often forgotten – those who have died in the service of the United Nations – the fallen.
Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare (29 April 2011)
The Conference of the States Parties at its Tenth Session decided that a memorial Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare would be observed on 29 April each year - the date in 1997 on which the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force.
English Language Day at the United Nations (23 April 2011)
English Language Day at the UN is celebrated on 23 April, the date traditionally observed as the birthday of William Shakespeare. English, along with French, is one of the two working languages of the UN, and one of the Organization's six official languages. Because it is so widely spoken, English is often referred to as a "world language", or the lingua franca of the modern era.
25th Anniversary of the Chernobyl Disaster (26 April 2011)
An explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 spread a radioactive cloud over large parts of the Soviet Union, now Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. On 26 April 2011, the General Assembly will hold a special commemorative meeting in observance of the 25th Anniversary of the Chernobyl Disaster.
International Day of Human Space Flight (12 April 2011)
In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of human space flight, 12 April 2011, the UN General Assembly declared that day the International Day of Human Space Flight. The first human space flight was carried out by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen, on 12 April 1961.
Presidency of the Security Council
The Presidency of the Security Council during the month of April is held by Colombia. The Presidency rotates monthly based on the list of Member States of the Security Council, in the English alphabetical order of their names.
UN and Sustainability
On 5 June 2007, World Environment Day, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made public his ambition to make the United Nations more efficient (and environmentally sustainable) in its operations, so it would eventually become "a globally acclaimed model of efficient use of energy and resources."
International Year for People of African Descent (2011)
Around 200 million people who identify themselves as being of African descent live in the Americas. Many millions more live in other parts of the world, outside of the African continent. In proclaiming this International Year, the international community is recognising that people of African descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected.
International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross
Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims (24 March)
The day recognizes, in particular, the work and values of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, of El Salvador, who was assasinated on 24 March 1980, after denouncing violations of human rights.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, 25 March 2011
This year’s commemoration is being observed under the theme “The Transatlantic slave trade: The living legacy of 30 million untold stories”.
International Day of Nowruz, 21 March 2011
International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/64/253 of 2010, at the initiative of several countries that share this holiday (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Turkey).
International Women's Day, 8 March 2011
8 March 2011 is being celebrated in many parts of the world as the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. It is also the first International Women’s Day for UN Women, created by the UN General Assembly on 2 July 2010. The official theme of International Women’s Day 2011 is "Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women".
Presidency of the Security Council
The Presidency of the Security Council during the month of March is held by China. The Presidency rotates monthly based on the list of Member States of the Security Council, in the English alphabetical order of their names.
Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide
The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide acts as a catalyst to raise awareness of the causes and dynamics of genocide, to alert relevant actors where there is a risk of genocide and to advocate and mobilize for appropriate action. This enhanced website contains much new material, including videos on preventing genocide and mass atrocities.
World Interfaith Harmony Week (1-7 February 2011)
In its resolution of 20 October 2010, the General Assembly pointed out that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace and established World Interfaith Harmony Week as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.
International Year of Chemistry
At its 63rd session in December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 the International Year of Chemistry, with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the leading UN Agency together with its partner, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
Presidency of the Security Council
The Presidency of the Security Council during the month of February is held by Brazil. The Presidency rotates monthly based on the list of Member States of the Security Council, in the English alphabetical order of their names.
Secretary-General's message for the International Day of Commemoration
in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (27 January 2011)
In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General paid special tribute to "the women who suffered in the Holocaust. Mothers and daughters, grandmothers, sisters and aunts, they saw their lives irrevocably changed, their families separated and their traditions shattered." Due to weather conditions in New York City on 27 January 2011, the event for the Day was cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later day.
Strengthening the UN
The United Nations is engaged in a continuous process of change and reform to strengthen its ability to meet new demands and deliver its vital services in the most effective and efficient ways.
First anniversary of the Haiti earthquake (12 January 2011)
On the one-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, two major events, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and at UN Headquarters in New York honoured all those who lost their lives (Haitians, and UN staff).
Presidency of the Security Council
The Presidency of the Security Council during the month of January is held by Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Presidency rotates monthly based on the list of Member States of the Security Council, in the English alphabetical order of their names.