International Day of Peace

International Day of Peace
Observed by	All UN member states
Type	United Nations International Declaration
Celebrations	Multiple world wide events
Date	21 September
Next time	21 September 2024 (2024-09-21)
Frequency	Annual
First time	1981; 43 years ago (1981)
Related to	Peace Movement

The International Day of Peace, also officially known as World Peace Day, is a United Nations-sanctioned holiday observed annually on 21 September. It is dedicated to world peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access. The day was first established in 1981 and first observed in September 1982 and is kept by many nations, political groups, military groups, and people.^[1]

To inaugurate the day, the United Nations Peace Bell is rung at UN Headquarters (in New York City). The bell is cast from coins donated by people from all continents except Africa, and was a gift from the United Nations Association of Japan, as "a reminder of the human cost of war"; the inscription on its side reads, "Long live absolute world peace".^[2]

In recent years, a searchable map of events has been published at un.org.^[3]