History

We celebrate Nelson Mandela International Day every year to shine light on the legacy of a man who changed the 20th century and helped shape the 21st.

Today, there are 1.2 billion young people aged between 15 and 24 years. They account for 16 per cent of the global population.

On July 11 every year, the world marks World Population Day. You may not have heard of such a day before but it has been celebrated for almost three decades already.

The International Day of Cooperatives is an annual celebration of the cooperative movement that takes place on the first Saturday of July since 1923.

June 26 marks the International Day in Support of Victims Torture. The observance aims to eradicate torture and the full implementation of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

On June 15, the world marks the 10th anniversary of the Day of the Seafarer even as many seafarers serve on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, playing an essential role in maintaining the flow of vital goods, such as food, medicines and medical supplies.

The United Nations has declared June 23 as International Widows Day to establish the rights and the social dignity of millions of widows around the world who are living in extreme loneliness and suffering.

We are marking this year’s World Refugee Day against a backdrop of a dramatic global crisis. Not only are record numbers of people forced to flee their homes, but the world is grappling with COVID-19, a disease that is still very much affecting us all.

The “International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict” aims to raise awareness to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence and to remember the victims and survivors of sexual violence.

Occurring annually on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests was established by Pope St. John Paul II in 2002 and encourages priests to reflect upon the importance and dignity of their vocation.

This day is observed every year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification.

The International Day of Family Remittances is a universally-recognized observance adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and celebrated every year on June 16.

Every year, on June 14, countries around the world mark World Blood Donor Day. The event serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.

Children around the world are routinely engaged in paid and unpaid forms of work that are not harmful to them. However, they are classified as child labourers when they are either too young to work, or are involved in hazardous activities that may compromise their physical, mental, social or educational development.

Some may be surprised to read that organisms discovered at extreme depths are used to speed up the detection of COVID-19, and probably even more to learn that, it is the environment that could give a solution to humankind.

The second World Food Safety Day is celebrated on June 7, 2020 to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism, and sustainable development.

Human actions, including deforestation, encroachment on wildlife habitats, intensified agriculture, and acceleration of climate change, have pushed nature beyond its limit. It would take 1.6 Earths to meet the demands that humans make of nature each year.

The protection of the rights of children is an important issue that everyone should be aware of. Most especially, everyone should remember children who become victims of war and aggression.

In Myanmar, tobacco is used by teenagers, especially in remote provinces, because they think that it is a cultural practice. They see their elders, who are not aware of its dangers, smoke and chew tobacco.

Every May 29, the world marks International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. It is a chance to pay tribute to the invaluable contribution of uniformed and civilian personnel and to honor more than 3,800 peacekeepers who have lost their lives while rendering peacekeeping services.