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On March 20th, we observed the following World/International Days:
Or, to sum them up in one title for simplicity:
World Day of Francophone Astrologers Who Don’t Eat Meat, Love Theatre, Care About Oral Health, and Strive to Make Others Happy with Their Stories and Predictions
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Why do we refer to some days as international (international days) and others as world (world days)? Let’s begin from the beginning.
The UN does not make an official distinction between these terms. In practice, they are often used interchangeably, without any institutional differentiation.
International/World days existed before the establishment of the UN, but the United Nations adopted them as a powerful tool. They celebrate specific days, weeks, years, and decades with particular themes, promoting international awareness* and action** on these issues.
*Each international day offers organizations the chance to organize awareness-raising activities related to the day’s theme.
** For instance, on May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated, during which the UN encourages its member states to sign and ratify the Cartagena Protocol for the protection of biological diversity.
Typically, the General Assembly is responsible for designating a specific date as an international day. How does this work? Member states propose an international day to the General Assembly, which then decides, by consensus, whether to adopt the resolution establishing that day.
The themes of international days are always aligned with the key areas of action of the United Nations, including:
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Some international days are not declared by the General Assembly but by specialized UN agencies to raise public awareness on issues within their specific areas of expertise, such as health, aviation, intellectual property, and more.
For example, World Press Freedom Day (May 3) was declared by UNESCO and later adopted by the General Assembly.
International days also reflect the level of interest a particular issue attracts in different regions of the world. To assess this, we examine the participation levels in these observances across various regions and languages.
Some of the most recognized days include International Women’s Day (March 8), World Water Day (March 22), International Day of Peace (September 21), and International Human Rights Day (December 10).
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International/World days are officially established by the UN. However, various organizations, associations, NGOs, scientific communities, and social movements, both nationally and internationally, propose the celebration of certain days, which gain acceptance through the dissemination of information and the involvement of organizations and citizens.
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In Greece, there is no official process for establishing a national day, as there is with the UN for international days. On a case-by-case basis, Ministries can propose days related to their areas of responsibility.
For example, March 6th has been designated by the Ministry of Education as the National Day Against School Violence and Bullying.
