The world observes International Human Solidarity Day every year on December 20. According to the UN website, the day celebrates unity in diversity in people all over the world. It also reminds the governments to respect their commitment to international agreements, raises public awareness of the importance of solidarity, encourages debate on the ways to promote solidarity so as to achieve ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ including poverty eradication, as well as encourage new initiatives that help in poverty eradication.
According to the United Nations Millennium Declaration, solidarity is one of the fundamental values that are essential for healthy ‘international relations’. Thus, after UN General Assembly convinced that promotion of the culture of solidarity and the spirit of sharing is important to combat poverty since then December 20th was declared as International Human Solidarity Day. Read on to know more about International Human Solidarity Day 2020.
Solidarity is defined as an awareness of shared interests and objectives that create a psychological sense of unity. Solidarity also refers to the ties in a society that bind people together as one.
According to the United Nations Millennium Declaration, solidarity is among the fundamental values that are essential to international relations. The Declaration also states that global challenges must be managed so that costs and burdens are distributed fairly. This is in accordance with the basic principles of equity and social justice. Additionally, those who suffer the least should help those who suffer the most.
International Human Solidarity Day 2020 history
The International Human Solidarity Day history starts from December 2002, when the UN General assembly established the World Solidarity Fund. This fund was set up in February 2003 to fund the United Nations Development Programme, which worked to eradicate poverty. On December 22, 2005, the UN General Assembly identified solidarity as a universal value, the day commemorates the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund.
As per the United Nations, International Human Solidarity Day is a day to celebrate unity in diversity and remind countries to respect their commitments to international agreements. The aim of the day is also to encourage new initiatives for poverty eradication and raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity. The UN is convinced that solidarity creates a spirit of sharing, which is essential for eradicating poverty.
International Human Solidarity Day significance
International Human Solidarity Day’s significance is to create awareness in people about the culture of solidarity and why it is important. People can do their part by donating to a relief organisation to help people out of poverty, and find their own way to help the poor in your community. The aim is also to find people who are like-minded which would lead to helping more people in need. International Human Solidarity Day celebrates the existence of the World Solidarity fund. On this day the UN raises many initiatives that help in eradicating poverty and proclaim International Human Solidarity Day. The day also focuses attention on the concept of solidarity that is crucial in the fight against poverty.
Aim of International Human Solidarity Day
The main aim of the event was to increase awareness among people. Awareness of the importance of understanding the value of human solidarity.
The assembly felt that the promotion of a culture of solidarity and the spirit of sharing was important in eradicating poverty, hunger, and disease. Its main aim is to achieve peace among nations.
Importance of solidarity
As per United Nations’ Millennium Declaration, global challenges such as growing inequality, poverty, climate crisis must be managed in a way that distributes the costs and burdens fairly in accordance with principles of social justice. People who suffer or who benefit least deserve help from the people who benefit most in order to ensure that globalisation becomes a positive force for all. To achieve this, building international solidarity is vital. Therefore, by resolution 60/209, the UN General Assembly, during World Summit 2005, proclaimed December 20 as the International Human Solidarity Day.
World Solidarity Fund for achieving poverty-free future
Since the founding of the UN, the concept of solidarity to promote international peace and security, human rights and socio-economic development has defined the work of the organisation. It is in this spirit, the organisation had, in 2003, set up the World Solidarity Fund under UNEP for the eradication of poverty in all its forms and promotion of human and social development in developing countries.
Solidarity to end crisis unleashed by virus pandemic
This year’s International Human Solidarity Day observation comes at a critical moment, as the world is battling the Coronavirus. Some countries have begun the rollout of a vaccine developed by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech. It is essential to ensure all countries enjoy the benefits of science equitably.
How to Observe
On this day, the UN encourages new initiatives for poverty eradication. The day serves as a reminder to governments to respect their commitments to international agreements. Events are held all over the world to promote the importance of solidarity. These events include presentations, seminars, conferences, and roundtable discussions. Many of these events also focus on how to combat poverty.
