Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination2026 · Date · History · Messages
A/RES/34/24
About Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination
The Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination is observed from 21 to 27 March. It forms part of the United Nations’ long-running institutional response to racism, racial discrimination and apartheid.
The Week was called for by the General Assembly in 1979 as part of the programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination. Its opening date coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March.
Why Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination matters
The Week provides a recurring period for examining racism not only as individual prejudice but also as a problem that can be embedded in institutions, laws, social structures and unequal access to rights and opportunities.
Its history is rooted in the United Nations anti-racism programme of the 1970s. Modern observance can connect that institutional history with contemporary work against racial discrimination while avoiding claims that every country has the same legal or social context.
History of Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination
In 1973, the General Assembly adopted A/RES/3057(XXVIII), launching the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and its programme of action.
On 15 November 1979, the General Assembly adopted A/RES/34/24 on implementation of the Decade programme. As part of that programme, it called for all States to observe a Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination beginning on 21 March.
The United Nations continues to list the Week for 21–27 March. The reviewed sources establish the institutional chain and recurring dates, but they do not establish a sufficiently precise first-observance record or a formal permanent facilitator for the Week.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and its programme of action
A/RES/3057(XXVIII) launched the Decade and programme of action in 1973; A/RES/34/24 later called for the Week of Solidarity as part of implementation of that programme.
United Nations General Assembly
A/RES/34/24
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.
6 fields not established in reviewed sources
Predecessor and precursor observances
Earlier or merged observances are kept separate from former names and later institutional actions.
How to Observe Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination
Read the UN background on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and connect the 21 March date with the wider week of solidarity.
Examine one contemporary form of racial discrimination using credible human-rights evidence and distinguish structural, institutional and interpersonal dimensions.
Use the Week to identify practical anti-discrimination commitments in schools, workplaces, public services or community organizations and assess how progress could be measured.
Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination Facts
The Week is observed from 21 to 27 March.
The General Assembly called for the Week through A/RES/34/24, adopted on 15 November 1979.
The Week was part of the programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.
The Week begins on 21 March, the same date as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The reviewed sources do not establish a sufficiently precise first-observance record, so that field remains unresolved.
Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination Messages
May Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination encourage thoughtful participation, shared responsibility and action that continues after the observance ends.
Wishing everyone observing Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination a day of reflection, constructive dialogue and purposeful follow-through.
On Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination, may awareness lead to informed discussion, practical action and respect for the communities at the heart of the observance.
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 Dag Hammarskjöld Library — 34th-session resolution table (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/34/24 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Meetings Coverage reference — racism and racial discrimination observances (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — Week of Solidarity against Racism (opens in a new tab)
Source Linked Authoritative Page
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 Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination?
21–27 March The documented recurrence rule is: 21–27 March.
Does Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United Nations international week. 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 Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination?
The reviewed sources identify United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body.
Is Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: United Nations international week. 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 Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination?
It is observed each year from 21 to 27 March.
Which UN resolution established the Week?
The General Assembly called for its observance in A/RES/34/24, adopted on 15 November 1979 as part of the programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.
Why does the Week begin on 21 March?
The Week begins on the same date as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The reviewed sources clearly establish that calendar relationship, but do not state an explicit enough causal formulation to populate the structured exact-date-rationale field.