International Day of Human Fraternity
A/RES/75/200
A/RES/75/200
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 Human Fraternity is observed on 4 February. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the day through resolution A/RES/75/200 on 21 December 2020, with annual observance beginning in 2021.
The observance promotes dialogue, mutual respect, tolerance, solidarity and peaceful coexistence across religious, cultural and social differences. It is framed as a culture-of-peace observance rather than as a celebration of one faith tradition.
Why it matters
Human fraternity in the UN context emphasizes equal human dignity and cooperation across differences. The day invites governments, UN bodies, civil society and other actors to use education, dialogue and practical cooperation to resist hatred, intolerance and discrimination.
The resolution also takes note of the 4 February 2019 Abu Dhabi meeting between Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad al-Tayyib, which resulted in the document “Human fraternity for world peace and living together”.
History
On 4 February 2019, Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmad al-Tayyib met in Abu Dhabi and signed the Document on Human Fraternity.
On 21 December 2020, the General Assembly adopted A/RES/75/200 and proclaimed 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity, to be observed every year beginning in 2021.
The UN Secretary-General welcomed the first International Day on 4 February 2021 and specifically acknowledged the United Arab Emirates and Egypt for co-facilitating the proposal process.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
United Arab Emirates and Egypt, co-facilitating the proposal process
The Secretary-General’s message for the first observance explicitly applauds the United Arab Emirates and Egypt for co-facilitating the process that produced the General Assembly resolution.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/75/200
First documented observance
The Secretary-General explicitly welcomed the first International Day of Human Fraternity on 4 February 2021.
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
Compare the language of the establishing resolution with a current UN message and identify which principles remain constant across years.
Host an interfaith or intercultural discussion focused on a shared civic problem, using equal speaking time and clear ground rules rather than treating any participant as representative of an entire community.
Create a short classroom or community resource distinguishing respectful disagreement from dehumanization, stereotyping and hate speech.
Pair the day with a practical cooperation activity—such as a service project or dialogue workshop—where participation does not require shared religious belief.
Useful facts
The observance falls on 4 February.
A/RES/75/200 was adopted on 21 December 2020.
The resolution says the annual observance begins in 2021.
The Secretary-General described 4 February 2021 as the first International Day of Human Fraternity.
The United Arab Emirates and Egypt were acknowledged by the Secretary-General for co-facilitating the proposal process.
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.
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 — A/75/L.52 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/75/200 (opens in a new tab)
UN Secretary-General — first International Day message (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — International Day of Human Fraternity (opens in a new tab)
Dedicated Authoritative Page
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 Human Fraternity?
4 February The stored recurrence guidance is: 4 February.
Does International Day of Human Fraternity 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 Human Fraternity 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 Human Fraternity?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as United Arab Emirates and Egypt, co-facilitating the proposal process.
Is International Day of Human Fraternity 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 2026-09-07.
When did International Day of Human Fraternity begin?
The General Assembly proclaimed the day in December 2020 and directed that it be observed annually beginning in 2021. The Secretary-General called 4 February 2021 the first International Day.
Why does the history mention 4 February 2019?
The establishing resolution explicitly notes the 4 February 2019 Abu Dhabi meeting and the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity. The reviewed sources establish that historical alignment, but this guide does not turn it into a stronger causal claim than the sources make.
Is the day only for religious organizations?
No. The resolution invites Member States, relevant UN organizations, other international organizations and civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to observe the day in appropriate ways.
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