International Day of Democracy
A/RES/62/7
A/RES/62/7
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
International Day of Democracy is the United Nations observance held on 15 September to encourage review of the state of democracy and to promote participation, human rights, accountability and inclusive public institutions.
The day is deliberately broader than elections. UN materials connect democracy with meaningful participation, dialogue, human rights, rule of law and the ability of people and civil society to contribute to decisions that affect them.
Why it matters
Democracy depends on institutions and everyday civic practices: access to information, peaceful participation, accountable decision-making, independent media and space for people with different views to be heard.
A useful observance is nonpartisan. It can help people understand how their own institutions work, how to participate lawfully and respectfully, and how to evaluate information before acting on it.
History
In 2007, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 62/7 deciding that 15 September of each year would be observed as the International Day of Democracy.
The first International Day of Democracy was observed in 2008, with national parliaments and organizations in many countries holding public-awareness activities.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
The IPU states that the International Day of Democracy was initiated by the IPU and established at its request through a United Nations General Assembly resolution in 2007.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution 62/7
First documented observance
The first International Day of Democracy was observed in 2008, with national parliaments and organizations in many countries holding public-awareness activities.
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.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
Ways to observe
Learn how a local council, parliament or public consultation process works and where official records are published.
Attend a lawful public meeting, hearing or community forum and observe how participation is structured.
Compare claims about a civic issue with primary documents and multiple credible news sources before sharing them.
Discuss a public issue using agreed rules that protect respectful disagreement and equal speaking opportunities.
Check whether civic information and participation channels are accessible to people with disabilities and to language communities in your area.
Useful facts
International Day of Democracy is observed on 15 September.
The UN General Assembly established the day in 2007 through resolution 62/7.
The first international observance took place in 2008.
UN materials frame democracy as involving participation, human rights and accountable institutions as well as elections.
The observance is international and nonpartisan; it does not endorse a political party or candidate.
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.
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.
United Nations Digital Library — General Assembly resolution 62/7 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — International Day of Democracy (opens in a new tab)
Inter-Parliamentary Union — International Days (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — List of International Days and Weeks (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — Observances: who chooses them and how (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 of Democracy?
15 September The stored recurrence guidance is: 15 September.
Does International Day of Democracy 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 of Democracy an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: United Nations / international 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 of Democracy?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Is International Day of Democracy international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: United Nations / international 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.
When is International Day of Democracy?
It is observed every year on 15 September.
Who established International Day of Democracy?
The UN General Assembly established it in 2007 through resolution 62/7.
Is International Day of Democracy about supporting a political party?
No. It is a United Nations observance focused on democratic participation, human rights, accountable institutions and public awareness, not endorsement of a party or candidate.
How this differs from closely related observances
These distinctions are separately reviewed and source-backed. They clarify scope; they do not change either authority record.
Is International Day of Democracy the same as International Day of Parliamentarism?
The International Day of Democracy has a wider democracy and participation scope. Parliamentarism Day narrows the lens to parliaments and how representative legislatures function and remain accountable.
Open International Day of Parliamentarism →Distinction sources
Other observances on September 15
These records also resolve to September 15, 2026 under the current authority data.
Get Ready Day
APHA places Get Ready Day on the third Tuesday in September as part of its preparedness initiative
Grito de Independencia / Grito de Dolores
Government of Mexico material describes the Grito de Independencia ceremony on 15 September, commemorating the historical call associated with the start of independence.
Independence Day
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade current National Days protocol register lists Costa Rica — Independence Day on 15 September. The source verifies the diplomatic national-…
Independence Day
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade current National Days protocol register lists El Salvador — Independence Day on 15 September. The source verifies the diplomatic national…
Independence Day
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade current National Days protocol register lists Guatemala — Independence Day on 15 September. The source verifies the diplomatic national-d…
Independence Day
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade current National Days protocol register lists Honduras — Independence Day on 15 September. The source verifies the diplomatic national-da…