International Day of Friendship
Next: July 30, 2027
Tell a friend they matter.
The story
Where it comes from
The UN General Assembly made 30 July the International Day of Friendship on 3 May 2011, in a resolution led by Paraguay and adopted unanimously. Its reasoning is simple: friendship between people, countries and cultures can inspire peace and build bridges between communities. The resolution calls friendship a noble and valuable sentiment in human lives everywhere, and it grew out of the UN's wider work on a 'culture of peace', the idea that peace is built in everyday attitudes as much as in treaties.
How it's celebrated
The UN invites governments, organisations, community groups and individuals to mark the day in their own way, with events that bring together people of different cultures, especially the young. Most people mark it closer to home: a message to an old friend, a meal with a new one, or a card to someone who has stood by you. It is also a good day to make the first move with a neighbour you have meant to know better.
Did you know
- The resolution notes that friendship days were already being celebrated in many countries before the UN gave the world a shared date.
- It asks especially that young people, as future leaders, be involved in activities that bring different cultures together.
- The idea of a 'culture of peace' behind the day was proposed by UNESCO and taken up by the UN General Assembly in 1997.
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