This year, the International Day of Peace comes at a time of crisis and conflicts. Marked annually on 21 September, the day is devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, with the United Nations (UN) calling on all conflict-stricken countries to observe 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. However, available data show that nations still have much to do to build a non-violent and sustainable world.
Now that countries all over the world are continuing to fight the challenges brought about by the pandemic, on 21 of September, nations together will focus on how to support people around the world in order to make progress, how to build resilience, how to change the world so as to sustain equality, inclusiveness, and sustainability and consider what measures should be taken to make peace with nature. This approach goes hand in hand with the 2030 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals which emphasis “there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development”.
State of peace in numbers
Data on conflicts demonstrates that humanity is still very far from achieving a sustainable state of peace. There are currently more international conflicts than at any time in the previous 30 years.
According to the Alliance for Peacebuilding:
Choosing between peace and peril
Against this background, the UN Secretary-General has pointed out that humanity has reached a crisis point which forces it to choose between peace or peril. Addressing countries worldwide ahead of the International Day of Peace, Guterres commented:
“This year’s International Day of Peace comes at a crisis point for humanity. COVID-19 has turned our world upside-down. Conflicts are spinning out of control. The climate emergency is worsening. Inequality and poverty are deepening. And mistrust and division are driving people apart at a time when solidarity and collaboration are needed more than ever.”
Guterres further stressed the importance of choosing peace over “perpetual peril” saying:
“The world cannot go back to what it was. As we count down to the International Day of Peace, I call on people everywhere to be part of a transformation for peace, by standing up against hatred and discrimination, by caring for the planet, and by showing the global solidarity that is so vital at this time.”
Background
The UN General Assembly declared 21 September as the International Day of Peace in 1981, calling on all nations to hold a cease-fire on that day and to devote time to increase public awareness of peace-related issues. In 2001, the General Assembly recognized the day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
