International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
A/RES/67/296
A/RES/67/296
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 Sport for Development and Peace is the United Nations observance held on 6 April to recognize the contribution sport and physical activity can make to development, inclusion, health, education, cooperation and peace.
The day focuses on sport as a tool that can support wider goals when programs are safe, inclusive and well designed. It does not imply that sport alone can solve structural inequality or conflict.
Why it matters
Sport can create shared spaces where people cooperate across differences, develop skills and participate in community life. Those benefits depend on access, safeguarding, inclusion and attention to barriers such as cost, disability, discrimination and unsafe environments.
A meaningful observance therefore includes both participation and reflection on who is excluded from sport and what changes would make programs more accessible.
History
In 2013, the UN General Assembly declared 6 April the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace through resolution 67/296.
The first observance took place on 6 April 2014; the United Nations Secretary-General described it as the first-ever International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
The date also commemorates the opening of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens on 6 April 1896.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution 67/296
First documented observance
The United Nations Secretary-General’s message for 6 April 2014 explicitly describes that year as the first-ever International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
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
Run an inclusive community activity with options for different ages, abilities and levels of experience.
Review whether a club, school or recreation program has barriers related to cost, transport, equipment, gender, disability or safety.
Use a team activity to practice cooperation, fair play and respectful conflict resolution.
Recognize coaches, volunteers or community organizations using sport for inclusion or youth development.
Pair a sports event with a practical community goal such as fundraising, accessibility improvements or participation outreach.
Useful facts
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is observed on 6 April.
The UN General Assembly established the day in 2013 through resolution 67/296.
The date is connected with the opening of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
The first observance was held on 6 April 2014.
The UN frames sport as a potential contributor to development and peace.
The effectiveness of sport-for-development programs depends on design, inclusion, safeguarding and context.
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/RES/67/296 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Secretary-General — first-ever International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, 6 April 2014 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (opens in a new tab)
Dedicated Authoritative Page
United Nations — Sport Day background (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 Sport for Development and Peace?
6 April The stored recurrence guidance is: 6 April.
Does International Day of Sport for Development and 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 Sport for Development and 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 Sport for Development and Peace?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body.
Is International Day of Sport for Development and 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 is International Day of Sport for Development and Peace?
It is observed every year on 6 April.
Why is the observance on 6 April?
The date also commemorates the opening of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens on 6 April 1896.
Does the UN say sport alone creates peace?
No. The observance recognizes sport’s potential contribution to development and peace; outcomes depend on the way programs are designed and the wider social context.
Other observances on April 6
These records also resolve to April 6, 2027 under the current authority data.
Bohring-Opitz Syndrome Awareness Day
The BOS Foundation states that Bohring-Opitz Syndrome Awareness Day takes place on 6 April each year and that the first awareness day was organized on 6 April 2015.
California Poppy Day
California Department of Education cites Education Code section 37222.12, which designates April 6 of each year as California Poppy Day.
Drowsy Driver Awareness Day
California Senate Concurrent Resolution 27 proclaimed April 6, 2005 as Drowsy Driver Awareness Day and designated April 6 of every following year as the state’s memorial observance.
National Food Faces Day
Holland America Line announced April 6 as National Food Faces Day in honor of chef Rudi Sodamin’s food-art work; observance registration corroborates the date.
National Library Day
National Today places National Library Day on April 6, and EventGuide independently lists it every April 6 across multiple years.
National Siamese Cat Day
Jace Shoemaker-Galloway’s own holiday list places National Siamese Cat Day on April 6, and UPI reports that she declared the first annual observance in 2014.