Universal Children's Day
The Universal Children’s Day, also known as the World Children’s Day, is celebrated annually on 20th November. This Day also marks the anniversary of the date that the United Nations General Assembly adopted both the Declaration and the Convention on children's rights. Mothers and fathers, teachers, nurses and doctors, government leaders and civil society activists, religious and community elders, corporate moguls and media professionals, as well as young people and children themselves, can play an important part in making this Day relevant for their societies, communities, and nations.
The World Children's Day offers each of us an opportunity to advocate, promote, and celebrate children's rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children. Time has come to promote togetherness around the world, awareness of the problems children face in every corner of the globe, and improve the welfare for all children. Some 463 million young people were not able to access remote learning during school shutdowns. What is more, previous shutdowns demonstrate that children who are out of school for extended periods, especially girls, are less likely to return.
International Day of Tolerance
The International Day for Tolerance is celebrated annually on 16th of November and it is a time for people to learn about respecting and recognising the rights and beliefs of others and also a time of reflection and debate on the negative effects of intolerance. The concept of tolerance today often refers to the acceptance of an equal status for any human being on our planet. It bases on values like human rights and fundamental freedom for the individual.
On this Day is important to reaffirm that tolerance is respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our world's cultures, lifestyles, ideologies, habits, customs, and other forms of expression and ways of being human. Tolerance recognises the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally diverse and only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe. Hence, "Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human." UNESCO's 1995 Declaration of Principles on Tolerance.
World Science Day for Peace and Development
Every 10th of November the World Science Day for Peace and Development (WSDPD) is celebrated, and this year marks its 20th editions. This Day highlights the important role of science in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues. This Day also offers the opportunity to mobilise all the stakeholders around the topic of science for peace and development, from government officials to the media to school pupils, in order to link science more closely with community.
The World Science Day for Peace and Development underlines the importance and relevance of science in our daily lives, and it underscores the role scientists play in broadening our understanding of the remarkable, fragile planet we call home and in making our societies more sustainable. Science and technology have an undeniable impact on improving living standards and increasing productivity.
World Cities Day
The World Cities Day is commemorated annually on 31 October, and it is an opportunity to showcase and promote the interest of the international community in global urbanisation. On this day, we also push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities addressing challenges of urbanisation and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world.
Urbanisation provides the potential for new forms of social inclusion, including greater equality, access to services and new opportunities, and engagement and mobilisation that reflects the diversity of cities, countries, and the globe. On this day, all relevant stakeholders use it to showcase their full range of resources, expertise, networks, and programmes that directly contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, notably Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities.
United Nations Day
The United Nations Day and its founding Charter is celebrated annually on 24 October by its member states and other stakeholders. This international organisation has four main purposes and those are: to maintain peace and security all over the world, to develop relationships among member nations, to foster an atmosphere of communication between nations, and to provide a forum to bring countries together to meet the purposes and goals of the United Nations.
For the past 76 years, United Nations has made enormous positive contributions in maintaining international peace and security, promoting cooperation among states, and international development. This celebration comes in a time as the world begins gradually to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the planned activities around the world represents a call to strengthen international cooperation in the interest of both nations and peoples, for a more peaceful and prosperous future for all.