2025 #PeaceDay theme: “Act Now for a Peaceful World“
“Around the world lives are being ripped apart, childhoods extinguished, and basic human dignity discarded, amidst the cruelty and degradations of war.”
In a time of turbulence, tumult, and uncertainty, it is critical for everyone to take concrete action to mobilize for peace.
From peacekeepers on the front lines of conflict, to community members, to students in classrooms around the world, everyone has a role to play. We must speak up against violence, hate, discrimination, and inequality; practice respect; and embrace the diversity of our world.
There are many ways to act right now. Spark conversations about the urgent need for understanding, non-violence, and disarmament. Volunteer in your community, listen to voices different from your own, challenge discriminatory language in your workplace, report bullying both online and off-line, and take the time to verify facts before you post on social media.
You can speak up with your choices, opting to purchase items from socially-conscious brands, or donating to organizations that promote sustainability and human rights.
The United Nations works in each of these areas, leading global efforts to advance human rights, fight climate change, and prevent and respond to conflict.
Through its Peacebuilding Commission, which is marking its twentieth anniversary in 2025, the United Nations works to address poverty, inequality, discrimination, and injustice – all potential drivers of violence. Through its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations supports countries’ efforts to increase prosperity, raise health and living standards, and end all forms of discrimination and injustice. UN peacekeepers work in difficult and dangerous conditions around the world, inspiring us all to take action.
And in its recently adopted Pact for the Future, the United Nations promised to address emerging challenges and opportunities – such as in science, technology and innovation – and support the active engagement of future generations.
The United Nations’ ActNow Campaign has helped millions of people around the globe choose issues they care about, commit to action, and track their impact. You can download the ActNow mobile app and see the difference your actions make for a more peaceful world.
All of our efforts are connected. From UN-supported health clinics to youth-led advocacy for the rights of the world’s most vulnerable, and from debates in parliaments to debates in history class, we can all do our part to build a more peaceful world.
Let our actions for peace resonate louder than words.
Background
UN International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
