International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day)
The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict identifies 12 February as the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, commonly known as Red Hand Day
Date and recurrence
12 February each year
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.
Scope and status
The verified scope stored for this record is United Nations children and armed conflict / international observance. The site preserves that boundary and does not infer broader government, global or public-holiday status from the observance name alone.
Also known as
Red Hand Day
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.
- Minors Context Care.
Sources
- United Nations — International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers / Red Hand DayUn Awareness Observance
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day)?
12 February each year The stored recurrence guidance is: 12 February.
Does International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day) 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 against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day) an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: United Nations children and armed conflict / 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 against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day)?
The stored designation basis is: The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict identifies 12 February as the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, commonly known as Red Hand Day. Supporting provenance includes United Nations — International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers / Red Hand Day. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day) international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: United Nations children and armed conflict / 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.
Other observances on February 12
These records also resolve to February 12, 2027 under the current authority data.
International Darwin Day
The Darwin Day organization identifies 12 February as International Darwin Day and maintains current event listings; no UN designation is asserted here.
International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers
The UN Office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict states that the Optional Protocol entered into force on 12 February 2002 and that the date is now known as the In…
International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism
A/RES/77/243
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