International Day of Hope2026 · Date · History · Messages · Quotes
A/RES/79/270
About International Day of Hope
The International Day of Hope is observed on 12 July. The United Nations General Assembly created the Day to promote hope as a constructive force connected with peace, well-being, mutual respect, social stability and sustainable development.
Hope is a broad human idea rather than a clinical treatment or guaranteed outcome. Responsible observance material can focus on resilience, possibility and collective action without implying that optimism alone resolves structural hardship, grief or mental-health conditions.
Why International Day of Hope matters
The UN framing treats hope as a value that can help communities imagine and work toward better conditions during conflict, uncertainty and social division.
The Day can be used to connect individual encouragement with practical action: strengthening supportive relationships, building inclusive institutions and pursuing achievable improvements rather than offering empty reassurance.
History of International Day of Hope
Austria, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Kiribati, Morocco and Vanuatu sponsored draft resolution A/79/L.54, which Kiribati introduced to the General Assembly under the culture-of-peace agenda.
On 4 March 2025, the General Assembly adopted the draft as A/RES/79/270 and declared 12 July the International Day of Hope.
The United Nations recorded the first celebration of the International Day of Hope on 12 July 2025. The reviewed institutional sources establish the annual date but do not provide a sufficiently precise historical rationale for selecting 12 July.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Kiribati, with Austria, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Morocco and Vanuatu as the other initial sponsors of A/79/L.54
UN meeting coverage records Kiribati introducing the draft; the Digital Library lists the six initial sponsors.
United Nations General Assembly
A/RES/79/270
First documented observance
The UN presence at Expo 2025 explicitly states that the first celebration of the International Day of Hope took place on 12 July 2025.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe International Day of Hope
Pair messages of hope with a concrete community action, such as volunteering, mentoring, mutual aid or support for a local service.
Invite participants to identify one realistic change they can influence and the next practical step toward it.
Use stories of recovery or perseverance with consent and context, avoiding claims that hardship is overcome simply through positive thinking.
Create age-appropriate activities that help children or young people distinguish hopeful planning from unrealistic certainty.
International Day of Hope Facts
For International Day of Hope, the International Day of Hope is observed on 12 July.
The General Assembly established it through A/RES/79/270 on 4 March 2025.
The draft was sponsored initially by Austria, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Kiribati, Morocco and Vanuatu, with additional sponsors joining later.
The first celebration took place on 12 July 2025.
The reviewed UN sources do not establish an exact historical reason for choosing 12 July.
International Day of Hope Messages
On International Day of Hope, may awareness lead to informed discussion, practical action and respect for the communities at the heart of the observance.
International Day of Hope is a reminder that lasting progress grows from listening, cooperation and attention to people most affected by the issue.
May International Day of Hope encourage thoughtful participation, shared responsibility and action that continues after the observance ends.
Marking International Day of Hope meaningfully can start with learning from credible sources, listening to affected communities and choosing one useful action.
Wishing everyone observing International Day of Hope a day of reflection, constructive dialogue and purposeful follow-through.
International Day of Hope Quotes
“The United Nations is the product of hope.”
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/79/270 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — draft A/79/L.54 and sponsors (opens in a new tab)
United Nations at Expo 2025 Osaka — first celebration of the International Day of Hope (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — International Day of Hope (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — List of International Days and Weeks (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — Observances: who chooses them and how (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day of Hope?
12 July The documented recurrence rule is: 12 July.
Does International Day of Hope fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is International Day of Hope an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United Nations / international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Day of Hope?
The reviewed sources identify United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Kiribati, with Austria, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Morocco and Vanuatu as the other initial sponsors of A/79/L.54.
Is International Day of Hope international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: United Nations / international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-05.
When is the International Day of Hope?
It is observed every year on 12 July.
Who established the International Day of Hope?
The United Nations General Assembly established it through A/RES/79/270, adopted on 4 March 2025.
When was it first celebrated?
The United Nations records the first celebration on 12 July 2025.
Other observances on July 12
These observances are also listed on July 12, 2027.
Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day)
GOV.UK lists the Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) for Northern Ireland and shows Monday 13 July as the 2026 substitute bank holiday because 12 July falls on a Sunday.
Día del Abogado
Mexican judicial and federal legislative sources identify July 12 as Día del Abogado since 1960 and connect the date to a July 12, 1553 law-teaching milestone. A 2022 Chamber of Deputies hi…
International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms
A/RES/77/294
International Town Criers Day
The Ontario Guild of Town Criers says International Town Criers Day began in 1997, was founded by Scott Fraser and is designated for the second Monday of July, with continuation reviewed an…
Malala Day
The Malala Fund continues to use Malala Day around 12 July to amplify girls’ education and young people’s voices, building on Malala Yousafzai’s UN address.
National Pecan Pie Day
American Pecan Council material verifies July 12 industry usage; original creator, first edition and date rationale remain unresolved.