International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
A/RES/65/196
A/RES/65/196
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
The International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims is observed on 24 March. It honours victims, emphasizes the importance of truth and justice, and recognizes people who have devoted their lives to protecting human rights.
The date also pays tribute to Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero of El Salvador, who was assassinated on 24 March 1980 after speaking against human-rights violations.
Why it matters
For victims and families, the right to truth concerns knowing what happened, the circumstances of violations and who was responsible. It is closely connected with investigation, accountability, remedy, memory and dignity.
This guide explains the observance and institutional history; it does not determine legal rights or remedies in an individual case. Those questions can depend on jurisdiction and competent legal or human-rights processes.
History
On 17 June 2010, the UN Human Rights Council adopted A/HRC/RES/14/7 proclaiming 24 March as the day and asking the General Assembly to take action.
On 21 December 2010, the General Assembly adopted A/RES/65/196 proclaiming 24 March as the International Day. The first observance took place on 24 March 2011.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
United Nations Human Rights Council
The Human Rights Council adopted A/HRC/RES/14/7 on 17 June 2010 proclaiming 24 March and providing the institutional step subsequently welcomed by the General Assembly.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/65/196
First documented observance
The UN Secretary-General’s 2011 message describes that date as the first International Day.
What the evidence establishes
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
3 fields not established in reviewed sources
Ways to observe
Learn about the right to truth through UN human-rights sources and documented transitional-justice work.
Support archives, memorialization and documentation initiatives that follow ethical, legal and survivor-centred practices.
When discussing victims, avoid sensational details and do not disclose identifying information that could create risk.
For a specific legal case, seek competent legal or human-rights assistance rather than treating an observance guide as legal advice.
Useful facts
The day is observed on 24 March.
The date honours Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero, assassinated on 24 March 1980.
The Human Rights Council adopted A/HRC/RES/14/7 on 17 June 2010.
The UN General Assembly adopted A/RES/65/196 on 21 December 2010.
The first observance took place on 24 March 2011.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
- Legal Financial Information Boundary.
Evidence & sources
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
UN Secretary-General — first observance message (opens in a new tab)
un.org — authoritative source (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — A/HRC/RES/14/7 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/65/196 (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims?
24 March The stored recurrence guidance is: 24 March.
Does International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: United Nations international remembrance and human-rights observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as United Nations Human Rights Council.
Is International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: United Nations international remembrance and human-rights observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-05.
Why is the Right to Truth Day on 24 March?
The UN chose the date to honour Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero, who was assassinated on 24 March 1980 after defending human rights in El Salvador.
Which UN body established the day?
The Human Rights Council adopted a proclamation resolution in June 2010, and the UN General Assembly subsequently proclaimed the international day through A/RES/65/196 in December 2010.
Does the “right to truth” mean the same legal remedy everywhere?
No. The observance explains a human-rights principle, but specific legal rights, procedures and remedies depend on applicable law and competent institutions.
Other observances on March 24
These records also resolve to March 24, 2027 under the current authority data.
Commonwealth Covenant Day
CNMI Office of the Registrar
National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day
Texas A&M and the American Society of Pharmacovigilance identify March 24 as the annual awareness day, established to focus attention on adverse drug events.
National Cheesesteak Day
Philadelphia International Airport and its marketplace materials repeatedly recognize March 24 as National Cheesesteak Day.
National Chocolate-Covered Raisins Day
ANFP Wyoming and Wisconsin chapter calendars list National Chocolate-Covered Raisins Day on March 24.
National Cocktail Day
GREY GOOSE explicitly states that National Cocktail Day falls on March 24 in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
National Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice
Argentina’s government states that Law 25.633 established 24 March as the National Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice to commemorate victims of the last military dictatorship.