International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism 2026 Observed on 21 August

22 August 2026National

The United Nations observed the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism on 21 August 2026 under the theme "Healing Through Memory", honouring victims and survivors and supporting their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. The day was established by UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/72/165 adopted in 2017 and first observed in 2018. A high-level virtual event at UN Headquarters, New York launched the 'Building a Safer Internet for Victims of Terrorism' initiative by the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN), addressing online harms and re-traumatisation faced by survivors.

Static GK

The UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) was established in 2017 and coordinates UN counter-terrorism work | The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy was adopted by the UNGA in 2006 and is reviewed biennially | India observes 21 May as Anti-Terrorism Day, marking the 1991 assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi

ShareWhatsApp Telegram

More Awards Current Affairs

President Droupadi Murmu Confers National Teachers Awards 2026 on 48 Teachers on Teachers' Day

President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Teachers Awards 2026 on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 5 September 2026, observed as Teachers' Day to mark the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India's first Vice-President and second President, born in 1888. The awardees represent 27 States, 7 Union Territories and 6 Central Government organisations, and include 26 male and 22 female teachers. They were picked through a three-stage selection at district, State/organisation and national levels, with online self-nominations invited on the Ministry of Education portal from 15 June to 20 July 2026, following the awards' announcement in late August.

GK ByteTeachers' Day in India is observed on 5 September, the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the first Vice-President and second President of India | World Teachers' Day is observed globally on 5 October under UNESCO | 5 September is also the International Day of Charity, marking the death anniversary of Mother Teresa (1997), instituted by the UN General Assembly in 2012

📅 5 Sept 2026AwardsRead complete →

World Coconut Day 2026 Observed on 2 September

World Coconut Day is observed every 2 September to highlight the role of coconuts in agriculture, nutrition and livelihoods. The 2026 theme is *'Coconuts in Times of Uncertainty: Securing Food, Energy, and Livelihoods'*. The day was initiated by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community, now the International Coconut Community (ICC), and was first observed in 2009. The date marks the ICC's foundation day — the body was established in 1969 under the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), with India as a founding member. ICAR's Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) marked the 2026 observance at Kasaragod, Kerala.

GK ByteThe International Coconut Community is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia | The Coconut Development Board, established in 1981, is headquartered in Kochi, Kerala, under the Ministry of Agriculture | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are India's leading coconut-producing states

📅 3 Sept 2026AwardsRead complete →

International Day for People of African Descent Observed on 31 August 2026

The United Nations observed the International Day for People of African Descent on 31 August 2026, the sixth edition, under the 2026 theme "Expanding the Human Rights of People of African Descent." The day was created by UNGA Resolution A/RES/75/170 adopted on 16 December 2020, an initiative championed by Costa Rica, and was first observed on 31 August 2021. It sits within the UN's wider anti-racial-discrimination architecture, including the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, and reinforces the 2030 Agenda's pledge to leave no one behind - a theme running through the UN's cluster of August human-rights observances.

GK ByteThe UN General Assembly declared 2015-2024 the International Decade for People of African Descent under the theme recognition, justice and development | The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent was established by the UNGA in 2021 as an advisory body to the Human Rights Council | The United Nations was founded on 24 October 1945 and is headquartered at New York, USA

📅 2 Sept 2026AwardsRead complete →

World Water Week 2026 Observed from 23-27 August with Theme 'Water for People and Progress'

World Water Week (WWW), the leading global conference on the water crisis, was observed from 23 to 27 August 2026 under the theme 'Water for People and Progress'. Held in the last week of August, it promotes sustainable, equitable and climate-resilient water management that includes vulnerable communities. The event has been organised since 1991 by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), growing out of Stockholm's public festival celebrating clean waters and the first Stockholm Water Symposium. The symposium was formally renamed World Water Week in 2001. The related UN observance World Water Day falls on 22 March each year and is coordinated by UN-Water.

GK ByteSIWI is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and awards the Stockholm Water Prize | Sustainable Development Goal 6 targets clean water and sanitation for all by 2030 | World Water Day was first observed in 1993, following the 1992 Rio Earth Summit

📅 27 Aug 2026AwardsRead complete →

See all Important Days →All Current Affairs