45 years of the International Day of Peace, in a world with more conflicts than ever since 1945

The International Day of Peace, celebrated every 21 September, was established by the UN General Assembly in 1981. Twenty years later, in 2001, the Assembly fixed its date and gave it a more demanding meaning: a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, dedicated to dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Forty-five years after its creation, the 2026 edition, under the theme "Invest in Peace – for Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day", took place in a particularly grim context. 195 armed conflicts were recorded in 2025, and there are currently more state-based conflicts than at any time since the Second World War. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report ranks state-based armed conflict as the second-biggest global risk for 2026.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres recalled that peace is never a passive achievement and called on leaders to invest in sustainable development, trustworthy institutions and human rights, and to recommit to diplomacy, dialogue, negotiation and peacekeeping.

The history of this day is also the history of an idea: that peace is not simply the absence of war, but something that is built, taught and sustained, generation after generation.

Source: World Economic Forum – Why the International Day of Peace matters in 2026