The observance of the International Day of Peace was established by the UN General Assembly in 1981, and in 2001, September 21 was designated as its permanent date. This date has been proclaimed a day of global ceasefire and nonviolence. Ukraine joined in observing Peace Day on September 21 in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 100/2002 of February 5, 2002.
On this day, the international community focuses on the need to prevent armed conflicts, uphold international law, protect human rights, and seek peaceful ways to resolve disputes.
For Ukraine, the International Day of Peace holds special significance. Today, peace for Ukrainians is not an abstract concept nor merely the absence of hostilities. It means security, freedom, the ability to live in one’s own home, to be with one’s family, to study, to work, and to plan for the future.
At the same time, Ukraine strives for a comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace based on respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Every Ukrainian man and woman—especially our soldiers—continues to fight for the restoration of justice and peace day after day. And Peace Day is yet another occasion to remind the world that a brutal war is raging in our country, in which people are dying every day.