The Nobel Peace Prize 2020 was awarded to United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) "for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict." In 75 years, the United Nations, its specialised agencies, related agencies, funds, programmes and staff were awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize twelve times. One agency, UN Refugee, received the famous prize in both 1954 and 1981.

Highlighting the remarkable power of non-violence and peaceful protest, the International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence. Calling for a global ceasefire to become a reality by the end of the year, the Secretary General of the UN António Guterres in his message for the International Day of Non-Violence emphasized that “On this year’s observance, we have a special duty: stop the fighting to focus on our common enemy: COVID-19. 

Achieving global nuclear disarmament is one of the oldest goals of the United Nations. Yet, today around 13,400 nuclear weapons remain. The General Assembly commemorates 26 September as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. This Day provides an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a priority. It provides an opportunity to educate the public - and their leaders - about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, and the social and economic costs of perpetuating them. 

In March, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on all warring parties to lay down their weapons and focus on the battle against the pandemic. While the message is intended for armed parties, solidarity and cooperation across borders is also needed to respond to the worst public health crisis of our time. The 2020 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Shaping Peace Together.” Celebrate the day by standing together with the UN against attempts to use the virus to promote discrimination or hatred. Join us through the virtual concert on Monday, 21 September at 8:00am EDT.

Around the world, attacks on children continue as warring parties flout one of the most basic rules of war: the protection of children. Conflicts today affect the futures of entire generations of children. Living in conflict, children without access to education, will grow up without necessary skills exacerbating the already desperate situation of millions of children and families. The International Day to Protect Education from Attack draws attention to the plight of more than 75 million 3-to-18-year-olds living in 35 crisis-affected countries and to their urgent need of educational support.

On the occasion of the third commemoration of the International Day for the Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism on 21 August 2020, watch and listen to the powerful stories of victims of terrorism talking abou

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Syria are in the low hundreds, but it is only a matter of time before the disease reaches those sheltering in camps in the war-torn country.

Already a dramatically under-reported crime, conflict-related sexual violence has been further obscured by this pandemic. COVID-19 hampers the possibility of survivors to report sexual violence and further exacerbates the existing structural, institutional and sociocultural barriers to reporting such crimes. On this International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the United Nations stands in solidarity with survivors. A virtual event will take place on 19 June 2020 (10 a.m. EST) to mark the observance. Watch live on UN WebTV.

Meet the Central Africans laying down their weapons and making a stand for peace

The United Nations works to stop COVID-19 from taking hold in the Middle East, where humanitarian needs are already enormous. The Secretary-General called for an immediate ceasefire in an effort to prevent a major health crisis from further ravishing conflict zones. In places like Syria, Yemen and Libya, where healthcare infrastructure has been significantly damaged by conflict, mounting an effective response against COVID-19 poses a great challenge. The Secretary-General later reiterated his “appeal to armed actors around the world to put down their arms.” 

One of the oldest and most atrocious weapons of war is rape, but now the courage of survivors is creating a new transformation marked by healing, justice and peace.

After UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s cease-fire appeal issued by on 23 March, United Nations Messengers of Peace added their voices to entreat governments and armed groups to pull back hostilities and allow the creation of corridors for life-saving aid. As reports of the virus multiply in conflict zones, the likelihood of humanitarian catastrophe looms too large. Add your support by signing the online petition!

Secretary-General António Gutteres has renewed his call for an immediate global cease-fire of 23 March to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He provided an update on the broad international support with which this appeal has been greeted, the response by conflict parties in a number of situations of armed conflict and the efforts on the ground by United Nations representatives and other actors to press forward and try to consolidate fragile advances towards laying down weapons. The UN Messengers of Peace have added their support. "We need to do everything possible to find the peace and unity our world so desperately needs to battle COVID-19," Mr. Guterres emphasized in his renewed appeal.

The General Assembly declared 4 April as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action to protect people in countries where mines and explosives constitute a serious threat to the lives of the civilian population. For over 20 years, the work of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has been driven by the needs of civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarians affected by the threat of explosive hazards. UNMAS continues its work during COVID-19.

The recent sentencing of militia members in the Central African Republic for the 2017 killing of civilians and peacekeepers, has sent a strong message that impunity will not be tolerated.