International Day of Peace 2026: Theme and History of the UN Observance on 21 September

Exam-focused facts from the 22 September 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The International Day of Peace is observed every year on 21 September; the 2026 theme is 'Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day'.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly, and in 2001 the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
The 2026 observance honours the 'everyday architects of peace'—people driving local action and building lasting peace from the ground up—and promotes the hashtag #InvestInPeace.