By Gaia Padalino / GICJ
History of the Day
On September 21 of each year, the International Day of Peace reminds us that we are still far away from the ambition of a collaborative and peaceful international community. The Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981 and declared it a period of cessation of hostilities by the General Assembly in 2001.1
The founding Resolution 36/67 reaffirmed that the agreements and diplomatic arrangements between governments would not be sufficient to secure a lasting peace, which can be consolidated by the support of the intellectual and moral solidarity of people.2
The rationale lies in the reflection on the meaning of peace as the opportunity to benefit from rights and equal opportunities, together with the absence of conflict and the common contribution to progress by individuals at a local level. The United Nations sees the International Day of Peace as an important occasion to promote the role of peacebuilding mechanisms in the reconciliation after hostilities, conflict resolution and prevention by analysing its origins in human rights violations. The latest theme of the Day promoted by the UN “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day” invites individuals to do their part for peace, as greater things are achieved gradually with small steps.3
How is the United Nations involved?
Above all, maintaining peace and security is the core mission and rationale behind the establishment of the United Nations and the work of its organs.4 The discussions on peace among states members of the United Nations at the 2005 World Summit resulted in the establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission to assist affected countries during the post-conflict period. In addition to the work of the Commission, the United Nations Member States voluntarily donated to the Peacebuilding Fund, a project that the then-Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, defined as crucial to facilitate the transition from hostilities to peace supporting initiatives in over 70 countries.5
More recently, in 2023 the UN has launched the Peacebuilding Impact Hub as a tool to promote the reinforcement of peacebuilding practices through shared learning. Cooperation between civil society, governments and local peacebuilders is vital to an effective implementation of measures fostering peace and in this regard the Impact Hub provides training on peacebuilding practices. As the impact of peacebuilding measures is still considered difficult to demonstrate, the Impact Hub initiative advocates for more investment and opportunities to involve a wider audience and enhance mobilization for local peacebuilding action.6
Peace in uncertain times
At the start of 2026, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported the existence of 130 active conflicts in the world, demonstrating the alarming perpetration of violations of humanitarian law.7
Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that peace has never been more urgent and it is lacking the main elements for a successful enforcement of rights, safety and dignity, namely dialogue and solidarity within the international community. Governments have an important role in peacebuilding and power to implement measures but are failing to do so, while individuals around the world are making their voices heard at a local level advocating for efficient peacebuilding initiatives and protesting to encourage the governments to dedicate resources.8
In the context of these tumultuous times, peace operations of the UN support dialogue and have adapted to the development of conflicts in order to plan efficacious possibilities for collective action. Reports from the UN on the current circumstances arising around the world warn us about the highest number of hostilities since the end of World War II and an intensification of internal conflicts deploying advanced types of weapons and attack techniques.9
Call to action
Giving due regard to the evolution of conflicts, Secretary-General Guterres urged the implementation of responses tailored to the threats to international humanitarian law and a reset of the UN peace operations. A first approach to improvement would involve greater investment in pacific settlement of disputes and preventive diplomacy, as well as reinforce the good office practices of the Secretary-General and the Secretariat. The new strategy would highlight the important role and support of member states, without which peacekeeping missions cannot succeed.
In addition, the resetting of UN peacekeeping practices also would start with collaboration with host states, which have the crucial task of using their mandate to encourage the competent national authorities in planning peacebuilding tactics. Regarding mandates, the Secretary-General advocated for the deployment of peacekeeping operations in places that would warrant successful results and seamless adaptation to the measures to take in countries troubled by conflicts. The progress of missions would be regularly measured to ensure that collaboration between the UN, Member States and host states yields concrete results.
The plan would also call for sharing responsibility for the transition from war to peacekeeping practices through shared learning initiatives and the international community’s commitment to transform peacekeeping operations in more flexible measures and inclusive with respect to women’s participation. Moreover, it is important to note that the success of these operations must be reflected in the responsible use and deployment of resources, taking into account the trust people place in the United Nations and its representatives. In conclusion, UN Member States must promote technological progress and employ new technologies in peacekeeping operations as needed, to ensure they support an already robust UN plan.10
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ)
Faithful to its mission of serving the rights of people around the world and respecting international humanitarian law, the Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) condemns all forms of conflict and violations of humanitarian standards. Furthermore, we encourage collaboration among UN Member States and recall that among the principles set forth in the preamble to the United Nation Charter, Member States have pledged to work together to save future generations from the atrocities of war, which has brought suffering to humanity and to every country.11
GICJ applauds the affirmations of the Secretary-General Guterres regarding the true meaning of peace, which must not only be considered a period free of conflict but a principle underlying the daily actions of every person. Furthermore, we urge the observance of the period of cessation of hostilities on September 21 to commemorate the International Day of Peace and to embrace the possibility of transforming a one-day ceasefire into peace negotiations in the common interest of a collaborative and peaceful international community.
We uphold the authority of international law and the need to hold accountable those who cause conflicts and commit international crimes, regardless of hierarchies or origins. Accordingly, we affirm our confidence in the UN and its ability to achieve the objectives set for the consolidation of peace operations, as an example to follow so as not to repeat the same mistakes of the past.
[1] www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-peace
[2] docs.un.org/en/A/RES/36/67
[3] www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-peace
[4] www.un.org/en/our-work/maintain-international-peace-and-security
[5] www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-peace
[6] www.un.org/peacebuilding/en/impact-hub
[7] www.icrc.org/en/article/icrc-appeals-operations-2026
[8] news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168301
[9] press.un.org/en/2026/sgsm23250.doc.htm
[10] Ibid
[11] www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text
