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Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO (INCCU) facilitates celebration of UN/UNESCO days/Weeks/Decades in the country. Listed below are the days and weeks officially recognised by the United Nations

  8 March - International Women's Day

  21 March - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

  21 March - World Poetry Day (UNESCO)

  22 March - World Day for Water 2005

  23 March - World Meteorogical Day (WMO)

  24 March - World Tuberculosis Day (WHO)

  7 April - World Health Day (WHO)

  23 April - World Book and Copyright Day (UNESCO)

  3 May - World Press Freedom Day(UNESCO)

  15 May - International Day of Families

  17 May - World Telecommunication Day (IUT)

  21 May - World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

  22 May - International Day for Biological Diversity

  25 May - Africa Day

  Beginning 25 May - Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories

  31 May - World No-Tobacco Day (WHO)

  5 June - World Environment Day (UNEP)

  17 June - World Day to combat Desertification and Drought

  20 june - World Refugee Day

  23 June - United Nations Public Service Day

  26 June - International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

  26 June - United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of torture

  1st Saturday July - International Day of Cooperatives

  11 July - World Population Day (UNFPA)

  9 August - International Day of Indigenous People

  12 August - International Youth Day

  23 August - International day for the Remembrance of the slave Trade and its Abolition (UNESCO)

  8 September - International Literacy Day(UNESCO)

  16 September - International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone layer

  21 September - International Day of Peace

  Last Week September - World Maritime Day (IMO)

  1 October - International Day of Older Persons

  1st Monday October - World Habitat Day

\  4-10 October - World Space Week

  5 October - World Teacher's Day (UNESCO)

  9 October - World Post Day (UPU)

  10 October - World Mental Health Day

  2nd Wednesday October - International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction

  16 October - World Food Day (FAO)

  17 October - International Day for the Eradication Poverty

  24 October - United Nations Day

  24 October - World Development Information Day

  24-30 October - Disarmament Week

  6 November - International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in war and Armed Conflict

  10 November - World Science Day for Peace and Development (UNESCO)

  16 November - International Day for Tolerance (UNESCO)

  20 November - Africa Industrialization Day

  20 November - Universal Children's Day (UNICEF)

  21 November - World Television Day

  21 November - - Philosophy Day at UNESCO (UNESCO)

  25 November - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

  29 November - International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People

  1 December - World Aids Day (WHO)

  2 December - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

  3 December - International Day of Disabled Persons

  5 December - International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development

  7 December - International Civil Aviation Day (ICAO)

  9 December - International Anti-Corruption Day

  10 December - Human Rights Day

  18 December - International Migrant's Day

International Years proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly

  2002 - United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage 

  2002 - International Year of Ecotourism 

  2002 - International Year of Mountains 

  2003 - International Year of Freshwater

  2004 - International Year to Commemorate the struggle against Slavery and its Abolition

  2004 - International Year of Rice 

  2005 - International year of Micro credit  

  2005 - International Year for Sport and Physical Education  

  2005 - International Year of Physics

International Decades proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly

  2005-2015 - International Decade for Action "Water for Life" 

  2005-2014- United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 

  2003-2012 - United Nations Literacy Decade  

  2001- 2010 - International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children   of the World  

  2001-2010 - Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism  

  2001-2010 - Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa  

  1997- 2006 - First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty  

  1995- 2004 - United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education 

  1994-2004 - International Decade of the World's Indigenous People

  1993-2003 - Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination  

  1993- 2002 - Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa  

  1993- 2002 - Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons 

  2003-2012 - United Nations Literacy Decade

2003-2012 - United Nations Literacy Decade

The United Nations General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session adopted its resolution 56/116 entitled "United Nations Literacy Decade: Education for All" in which it proclaimed United Nations Literacy Decade for the period 2003-2012 towards the goal of Education for All. This proposal was endorsed at the roundtable convened at the World Education Forum, held in Dakar in 2000.

The United Nations Literacy Decade, as an integral component of Education for All, will provide both a platform and an impetus for achieving all six goals of the Dakar Framework for Action which are as follows: -
 

(1) Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children;

(2) Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality;

(3) Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programmes;

(4) Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults;

(5) Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005 and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls' full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality;

(6) Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.

International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non- Violence
for the Children of the World (2001-2010)

The United Nations declared the period between 2001 and 2010 as the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non- Violence for the Children of the World. The UNESCO was declared as a lead agency which was tasked with coordinating all the activities relating to the implementation of the action plan of the decade.

In India, the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO (INCCU) has been actively promoting this decade. The Commission has organised lecture series in 2001 to create a widespread movement in favour of Culture of Peace in the country. One of the lectures was of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is internationally renowned for his commitment to the cause of international peace, security and promoting respect for all human rights.

In the year 2003 an International Conference on Dialogue Among Civilizations was co-organized by Government of India and UNESCO in July 2003 in New Delhi. The Conference resulted in the adoption of the "New Delhi Declaration" which was later on adopted by UNESCO as framework for future action in this regard. Following from this conference, an institute in our country viz. Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla has been designated as the nodal institute to carry forward the Dialogue Among Civilizations.

UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development(2005-2014)

In December 2002 the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution to put in place a UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, lasting from 2005-2014. UNESCO was designated as the lead agency for the decade and for developing an International Implementation Scheme (IIS). UNESCO has a dual role to play, one as international coordinator and facilitator for the decade, and the second as a substantive implementer of Education for Sustainable Development.

The draft IIS was presented at the 59th Session of the UN General Assembly in October 2004. It sets out a broad framework and provides overall guidance for all partners and stakeholders to contribute to the Decade as per their particular/national context.

The primary goal for the DESD is laid out in the United Nations General Assembly resolutions 59/237 in which the General Assembly "encourages Governments to consider the inclusion ... of measures to implement the Decade in their respective education systems and strategies and, where appropriate, national development plans". Furthermore, the General Assembly "invites Governments to promote public awareness of and wider participation in the Decade, inter alia, through cooperation with and initiatives engaging civil society and other relevant stakeholders, especially at the beginning of the Decade". In nutshell, the Decade's goal is that countries achieve Sustainable Development, i.e., the social, economic and environmental capacity, to maintain an international path of continuing development. Education, beginning with basic literacy and extending throughout life, is the foundation upon which Sustainable Development ultimately rests. UNESCO as lead agency will promote Education as a basis for a more sustainable human society and will encourage the integration of Sustainable Development issues and practices, including local knowledge and culture, into education systems at all levels.

The International Implementation Scheme (IIS) as presented in October, 2005 as a UNESCO document, summarizes the goals and objectives of the Decade, and its relationship to other key education movements. It lists key milestones for the DESD and lays out seven strategies for moving forward with ESD. It is envisaged that IIS would foster collective ownership of the DESD and regions and nations will create plans, strategic approaches, and timetables on the basis of the framework provided by this International Implementation Scheme.

The International Implementation Scheme can be consulted online on the UNESCO DESD website www.unesco.org/education/desd

The Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO (INCCU) has constituted a National Committee consisting of experts and officials from Government, Civil Society and NGOs on Education, Environment, Culture, Social Sciences, Science, Communication and other related fields in order to systematically implement and oversee activities undertaken within the country in pursuance of the goals of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad has been designated as the nodal agency for all DESD related activities in the Country.