UN Days, Weeks and Years > International Years

Since 1959 the UN has designated International years in order to draw attention to major issues and to encourage international action to address concerns which have global importance and ramifications. There is a concerted effort not to designate every year - for fiscal reasons and to avoid any process of trivialization. The following is the chronological list of years designated to date:

1959/60	World Refugee Year
1965	International Cooperation Year
1967	International Tourism Year
1968	International Year for Human Rights
1970	International Education Year
1971	International Year for Action to Combat Racism & Racial Discrimination
1974	World Population Year
1975	International Women’s Year
1978	International Anti-Apartheid Year
1979	International Year of the Child
1981	International Year of Disabled Persons
1982	International Year of Mobilisation for Sanctions Against South Africa
1983	World Communications Year
1985	International Youth Year
1986	International Year of Peace
1987	International Year of Shelter for the Homeless
1990	International Literacy Year
1992	International Space Year (endorsed, not declared)
1993	International Year for World’s Indigenous People
1994	International Year of the Family; and International Year of Sport & Olympic Ideal
1995	United Nations Year for Tolerance
1996	International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
1998	International Year of the Ocean
1999	International Year of Older Persons; and Centennial of the First International Peace Conference
2000	International Year for the Culture of Peace; and International Year of Thanksgiving
2001	International Year of Volunteers; and United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations; and International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
2002	International Year of Mountains; and International Year of Culture Heritage; and International Year of Ecotourism (http://www.world-tourism.org/index.htm or http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/ecotourism/iye.htm)
2003	International Year of Freshwater
2004	International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and Its Abolition; and International Year of Rice
2005	International Year of Microcredit; and International Year for Sport and Physical Education
2006	International Year of Deserts and Desertification
2008	International Year of the Potato; and International Year of Planet Earth; and International Year of Sanitation; and International Year of Languages
2009	International Year of Human Rights Learning - from 10 December 2008 (Human Rights Day) to 10 December 2009 International Year of Reconciliation; and International Year of Natural Fibres; and International Year of Astronomy
2010	International Year of Biodiversity; and International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding - from 12 August 2010 (International Youth Day) to 11 August 2011
2011	International Year of Forests; and International Year of Chemistry; and International Year for People of African Descent
2012	International Year of Cooperatives

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For further information, we suggest you visit the UN's Conferences and Events site. Specifically you should check out "Conferences and Observances" in the "Background Information" section. (As the UN changes the URL of this page at least once a year we choose not to give you a direct link that may soon become dated.)