2026 Theme:
Building Trust through Dialogue, Inclusion and Reconciliation

The theme “Living Together in Peace: Building Trust through Dialogue, Inclusion and Reconciliation” feels especially timely in 2026. At the start of the year, the United Nations Secretary-General pointed to a world marked by strain and uncertainty, while urging renewed commitment to cooperation through the Pact for the Future and the UN80 initiative.

The broader theme of the General Assembly’s eightieth session — “Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights” — carries the same spirit. It reflects a simple but vital truth: peace does not rest on uniformity. It grows when people choose to listen, make room for one another and protect the dignity of those whose experiences, beliefs and backgrounds may differ from their own. In that sense, living together in peace is not an abstract ideal for 2026. It is an urgent and practical task.

Throughout the UN system, the discussions in 2026 have highlighted how closely peace is tied to trust. In a March 2026 statement on human rights and a culture of peace, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stressed that exclusion, discrimination and impunity deepen grievances, while respect for human rights helps build trust and strengthen social cohesion. That message is reinforced in the January 2026 General Assembly draft on interreligious and intercultural dialogue, which links dialogue with peace, social stability and mutual understanding, and calls for greater inclusion and unity in the face of hate speech and discrimination. UNESCO’s work on intercultural dialogue makes a similar point: dialogue is not a ceremonial gesture or a matter of good intentions alone; it is one of the ways societies begin to repair damaged relationships, ease tensions, and create the conditions for peace to hold.

The wider UN calendar in 2026 reinforces the message. The High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, together with observances such as the International Day for Countering Hate Speech (18 June) and the International Day of Peaceful Coexistence (28 January), point to a shared concern: the need to protect the social fabric from division, hostility and fear.

The United Nations's peacebuilding work adds an important reminder that trust, inclusion and participation matter - especially for children and young people, whose sense of belonging will shape the future of their communities.

Against this backdrop, the 2026 theme speaks with clarity and purpose: it calls attention to the everyday work of peace. Not only in diplomacy and institutions, but also in schools, neighborhoods, places of worship and public life. In a year when many societies are feeling the weight of polarization, our message is both timely and deeply human.

Background

Following the devastation of the Second World War, the United Nations was established to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. One of its purposes is to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems, including by promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.

In 1997, the General-Assembly proclaimed - by its resolution 52/15 — the year 2000 as the "International Year for a Culture of Peace". In 1998, it proclaimed the period 2001-2010 as the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for Children of the World."

In 1999, The General-Assembly adopted, by resolution 53/243, the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, which serves as the universal mandate for the international community, particularly the United Nations system, to promote a culture of peace and non-violence that benefits all of humanity, including future generations.

The declaration came about as a result of the long-held and cherished concept — contained within the Constitution of UNESCO — that "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed." The Declaration embraces the principle that peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process, in which dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are resolved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.

The Declaration also recognizes that to fulfill such an aspiration, there is a need to eliminate all forms of discrimination and intolerance, including those based on race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.