International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace
Next: April 24, 2027
Keep talking. It works.
The story
Where it comes from
The UN General Assembly created this day on 12 December 2018 (resolution 73/127), on a proposal made on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. It celebrates the idea at the heart of the United Nations: that countries do better when they work through shared problems together, by talking and by agreed rules, rather than alone or by force. The UN has grown from 51 member states in 1945 to 193 today, and the Assembly first marked the day with a meeting in New York on 24 April 2019.
How it's celebrated
The resolution invites countries, UN organisations and the public to mark the day with educational and awareness activities on what multilateralism and diplomacy achieve, and UN offices use it to share stories of cooperation that worked. For everyone else it is a good day to practise the same skills closer to home: listen first, find common ground and keep talking.
Did you know
- In the UN's own definition, multilateralism means cooperation between at least three states.
- The UN counts the eradication of smallpox among the great results of countries working together.
- Before founding ASEAN in Bangkok on 8 August 1967, the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand talked it through at the seaside resort of Bang Saen, partly on the golf course, a style they called 'sports-shirt diplomacy'.
Coming up next
- World Malaria Day · April 25, 2027
- World Intellectual Property Day · April 26, 2027
- International Design Day · April 27, 2027
- World Day for Safety and Health at Work · April 28, 2027
- International Dance Day · April 29, 2027
- International Jazz Day · April 30, 2027