International Day of Living Together in Peace
A/RES/72/130
A/RES/72/130
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 Living Together in Peace is observed on 16 May. It promotes peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding, solidarity and the ability of people with different backgrounds and beliefs to coexist with dignity.
The United Nations General Assembly created the day in 2017 as part of its broader culture-of-peace framework.
Why it matters
Living together in peace is more than the absence of armed conflict. The UN culture-of-peace framework emphasizes dialogue, mutual understanding, inclusion and peaceful resolution of differences.
The observance is therefore suited to practical work on reconciliation, anti-discrimination, intercultural and interfaith dialogue, community trust and participation rather than symbolic harmony alone.
History
Algeria introduced the draft resolution in the General Assembly, and the President of the Assembly later thanked the African Group and Algeria in particular for their work in bringing the Day to life.
On 8 December 2017, the General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/72/130 and designated 16 May as the International Day of Living Together in Peace.
The General Assembly observed the Day for the first time on 16 May 2018.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
Algeria, with the African Group
Algeria introduced draft resolution A/72/L.26; the President of the General Assembly later thanked the African Group and Algeria in particular for their work in bringing the International Day to life.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/72/130
First documented observance
The General Assembly spokesperson explicitly stated that 16 May 2018 was the first observance since the Day was declared.
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
Organize a dialogue that gives participants equal time to listen and respond rather than treating the event as a one-way speech.
Review whether a school, workplace or community process unintentionally excludes people because of language, disability, belief or background.
Learn about mediation, restorative practices or community reconciliation methods from credible institutions.
Pair messages about tolerance with concrete commitments against discrimination, hate speech and violence.
Useful facts
The Day is observed on 16 May.
The General Assembly adopted A/RES/72/130 on 8 December 2017.
Algeria introduced the establishing draft in the General Assembly.
The first observance took place on 16 May 2018.
The Day sits within the UN culture-of-peace framework.
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.
UN General Assembly meeting record A/72/PV.68 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/72/130 (opens in a new tab)
President of the UN General Assembly — first observance (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)
UN General Assembly spokesperson — first observance (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 Living Together in Peace?
16 May The stored recurrence guidance is: 16 May.
Does International Day of Living Together in Peace 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 Living Together in Peace 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 Living Together in Peace?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Algeria, with the African Group.
Is International Day of Living Together in Peace 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 was the International Day of Living Together in Peace established?
The UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/72/130 on 8 December 2017.
Who advanced the proposal?
Algeria introduced the draft resolution, and the General Assembly President later credited the African Group and Algeria in particular for helping bring the Day to life.
When was it first observed?
The General Assembly commemorated it for the first time on 16 May 2018.
Other observances on May 16
These records also resolve to May 16, 2027 under the current authority data.
International AIDS Candlelight Memorial
The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial states that the memorial is held every third Sunday in May and has been observed since 1983 under coordination by GNP+.
International Day of Light
UNESCO 39 C/Resolution 16
National Barbecue Day
National Day Calendar states that National Barbecue Day is celebrated each year on May 16, and National Today independently gives National BBQ Day an every-May-16 recurrence.
National Coquilles Saint Jacques Day
National Day Calendar and National Today independently place National Coquilles Saint Jacques Day on May 16.
National Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day
A City of Huntsville proclamation identifies May 16 as National Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day and credits Starr Valentino with beginning the observance in Atlanta in 2009.
National Honor Our LGBT Elders Day
SAGE/National Resource Center materials identify May 16 as National Honor Our LGBT Elders Day; congressional resolutions have also recognized the observance.