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The theme of the 2026 International Day of Peace "Invest in Peace - For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day" invites us all to do our part for peace.
Photo:UN

Peace is not just made at conference tables, but in classrooms, neighbourhoods, and everywhere people meet with open minds and open hearts. Together, day by day, we can build a more just world, with compassion, equality and dignity for all.

UN Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres

2026 Theme: Invest in Peace - For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day

On 21 September, the world marks the International Day of Peace.

Today, amidst staggering volatility, the search for peace feels overwhelming¡ªbut it has never been more urgent.

Peace is more than the absence of war; it is the foundation necessary to collectively tackle humanity¡¯s challenges. It is the lived experience of safety, dignity, opportunities and cooperation in our daily lives.

Under the theme Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day, this year¡¯s International Day of Peace honours the 'everyday architects of peace'¡ªpeople driving local action, laying the groundwork for stability, and building a lasting peace from the ground up.

Remember, peace isn¡¯t just built in conference rooms¡ªit is shaped by everyone, everywhere, every day.

Everyone, everywhere can do their part for peace. Take one small step for peace every day:

  • Give your time to help someone else.
  • Lend your voice to drive positive change.
  • Host a Peace Circle - an intergeneration youth-led conversation on solutions.
  • Use your platform to promote a cause or tell a story of peace and hope

Show us how you're building the architecture of peace and justice using #InvestInPeace.

Background

The International Day of Peace was in 1981 by the Â鶹APP General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.

Young people are leading the way toward a more just, peaceful world. In honor of Peace Day, visited the Â鶹APP to speak with current and future leaders about how we can all act now for peace.

Nearly 20 years ago, at the 2005 World Summit, UN Member States established the Peacebuilding Commission to help countries recover and rebuild after conflict. To support this effort, the Â鶹APP also created the Peacebuilding Support Office and the Peacebuilding Fund, backed by voluntary contributions from Member States. Then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan called this a turning point in efforts to guide nations from war to peace and to close gaps in the UN¡¯s peacebuilding work. Since then, the Peacebuilding Fund has supported projects in over 70 countries, focusing on conflict resolution, justice, reconciliation, human rights, and gender equality. Peacebuilding is also about prevention, addressing the root causes of conflict such as poverty, inequality, and discrimination. 

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International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the Â鶹APP, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.