Today is the United Nations International Day of Peace.
The day is being observed around the world and provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. But exactly after two decades, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and global cease-fire to strengthen the ideals of peace and promote global non-violence
The theme of the 2026 International Day of Peace “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day” invites us all to do our part for peace and it honors what the UN calls “everyday architects of peace”: people whose local, person-to-person action builds lasting understanding from the ground up.
In today’s staggering volatile world, peace is more than the absence of war, peace isn’t just built in rooms but it is shaped by everyone, everywhere, every day.
As the United Nations Headquarters in New York is a global gallery of diplomacy, the UN Peace Bell, a symbol of global peace cast from donated coins and medals collected from over 60 countries to a knotted bronze gun honouring the memory of John Lennon, rung twice a year on the first day of spring (Vernal Equinox) and on September 21 for the International Day of Peace.
The UN Secretary-General rings the bell to pray for world peace alongside international representatives.
Delivering the message on Peace Day, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said that “On this International Day of Peace, let us all be inspired by the courage of those who champion peace in neighbourhoods, classrooms and communities. And let’s call on world leaders to invest in a peaceful future for all people.”
