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You are here: Home > International Year of Volunteers + 10 > UN days

During the Consultative meeting in October 2009, it was suggested that the focus of IYV+10 be structured around the role of volunteers in relation to the different themes of the different UN Days. For example, you could aim to recognise and promote volunteerism related to health around World Health Day in April, or highlight the impact volunteers make to environmental sustainability around World Environmental Day in June. By structuring the year in this way, we want to underline and celebrate the vital role volunteers play in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and beyond.

During IYV+10 we would like to feature articles, photographs and promote events in the time running up to, during and after a number of UN days on the World Volunteer Web.

Below is a list of the UN days and which UN entity is responsible for each. This will allow you to identify around which days your programmes would best fit. You may already be very active in one of the focus areas of the UN Days and want to use the official day to promote your volunteer projects. If you do have stories related to volunteerism and one of the official days we encourage you to contact the representation of the relevant UN entity in your country and identify appropriate ways and spaces in which to promote them. Please also provide us with this information by sending your stories and photographs to IYV+10@unvolunteers.org.

Date	Day	Entities responsible
20 Feb	World Day of Social Justice	ILO
21 Feb	International Mother Language Day	UNESCO
8 Mar	International Women’s Day	UNIFEM/DESA/DPI
21 Mar	International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination	OHCHR
22 Mar	World Water Day	FAO
23 Mar	World Meteorological Day	WMO
24 Mar	World Tuberculosis Day	WHO
7 Apr	World Health Day	WHO
25 Apr	World Malaria Day	WHO
28 Apr	World Day for Safety and Health at work	ILO
8/9 May	World Migratory Bird Day	UNEP/AEWA
21 May	World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development	UNESCO
22 May	International Day for Biodiversity	UNEP
29 May	International Day of UN Peace Keepers	UN Peacekeeping
5 Jun	World Environment Day	UNEP
17 Jun	World Day to combat desertification and drought	UNEP/UNCCD
20 Jun	World Refugee Day	UNHCR
26 Jun	International Day in support of victims of torture	UNHCR
11 Jul	World Population Day	UNFPA
9 Aug	International Day of the World’s Indigenous people	DESA/UNFPA
12 Aug	International Youth Day	DESA/UNICEF
19 Aug	World Humanitarian Day	OCHA
15 Sep	International Day of Democracy	DPI/IPU
16 Sep	International Day for the preservation of the ozone layer	UNEP
21 Sep	International Day of Peace	UNGA
2 Oct	International Day of Non Violence	DPI
4 Oct	World Habitat Day	UN Habitat
13 Oct	International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction	OCHA/ UNISDR
16 Oct	World Food Day	FAO
17 Oct	International Day for the Eradication of Poverty	DESA
24 Oct	United Nations Day	DPI
6 Nov	International Day for Preventing the exploitation of the environment in war and armed conflict	UNEP
20 Nov	Universal Children’s Day	UNICEF
25 Nov	International Day for Elimination of Violence against women	UNIFEM
1 Dec	World AIDS Day	UNAIDS
5 Dec	International Volunteer Day	UNV
10 Dec	Human Rights Day	OHCHR
19 Dec	UN Day for South-South Cooperation	UNDP
20 Dec	International Human Solidarity Day	DESA

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