UN International Days from April to July 2009

The United Nations was built on spiritual principles and universal values such as peace, human rights, human dignity and worth, justice, respect, good neighbourliness, freedom, respect for nature and shared responsibility. TOS groups will therefore find that many UN designated International Days provide opportunities for promoting the theosophical principles underpinning TOS work as well as networking with similar community groups in supporting relevant UN activities.

April 7: World Health Day

April 22: Earth Day

April 23: World Book Day
(World Book Day was celebrated on March 6 in Ireland and the UK)

April 25: World Malaria Day

May 3: World Press Freedom Day

May 15: International Day of Families

May 17: World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

May 25 - June 1: Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories

May 29: International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers

May 31: World No-Tobacco Day
Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world. It is the only legal consumer product that kills one-third to one-half of those who use it as intended by its manufacturers, with its victims dying on average 15 years prematurely. 500 million of today's smokers will be killed by tobacco. Approximately 1.8 billion young people (aged 10-24) live in our world today with more than 85% found in developing countries. Having survived the vulnerable childhood period, these young people are generally healthy. However, as the tobacco industry intensifies its efforts to hook new, young and potentially life-long tobacco users, the health of a significant percentage of the world’s youth is seriously threatened by their deadly products.

June 4: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

June 5: World Environment Day (slogan: Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy)

June 12: World Day Against Child Labour

June 17: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
(UN Convention to Combat Desertification)

June 20: UN World Refugee Day

June 26: International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime launched a 3-year campaign on June 26 2007 with the slogan, ”Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs.” The campaign will focus on illicit drug trafficking in 2009.

also International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

July 5: International Day of Cooperatives

July 11: World Population Day

July 15: World Youth Day

July 17: World Day for International Justice, which commemorates the adoption of the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court, the Rome Statute, on July 17, 1998.