World Development Information Day2026 · Date · History · Messages · Quotes
A/RES/3038 (XXVII)
About World Development Information Day
World Development Information Day is observed on 24 October. The General Assembly created it in 1972 to draw public attention to development problems and to the need for stronger international cooperation to address them.
The day reflects an early UN view that better public information, especially among young people, could strengthen understanding of development challenges and support international cooperation.
Why World Development Information Day matters
The observance links development policy with public understanding. Its institutional purpose is not simply to promote more information, but to improve awareness of development problems and the international cooperation needed to solve them.
Modern observance can use the day to examine how development data, media literacy, access to information and public communication affect understanding of poverty, inequality and sustainable development.
History of World Development Information Day
On 19 December 1972, the General Assembly adopted resolution 3038 (XXVII), instituting World Development Information Day.
The Assembly decided that the date should coincide in principle with United Nations Day, 24 October. That date also marked the 1970 adoption of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade.
The first World Development Information Day was observed on 24 October 1973. The UN Yearbook records an open forum at Headquarters as part of that first observance.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution 3038 (XXVII)
First documented observance
The 1973 UN Yearbook explicitly records the first observance on 24 October 1973.
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 World Development Information Day
Use current UN development indicators to explain one development challenge with sources and definitions clearly stated.
Compare how the same development issue is reported by statistical agencies, governments and news organizations.
Create a short data-literacy activity showing how indicators can be misread without context.
Avoid presenting outdated development statistics as current simply because they appear in historical observance materials.
World Development Information Day Facts
The documented calendar date for World Development Information Day is 24 October.
The General Assembly established it through resolution 3038 (XXVII) on 19 December 1972.
The first observance was held on 24 October 1973.
24 October was chosen to coincide with United Nations Day and the anniversary of the 1970 International Development Strategy.
World Development Information Day Messages
May World Development Information Day encourage thoughtful participation, respect for others and attention to the institutions that shape everyday life.
Marking World Development Information Day can begin with one useful step: learn the issue, hear different perspectives and take part constructively.
Wishing everyone observing World Development Information Day a day of informed reflection, respectful conversation and meaningful participation.
On World Development Information Day, may informed participation, respectful dialogue and public responsibility strengthen the communities we share.
World Development Information Day is a reminder that civic life is strongest when people listen, learn and take part with care.
World Development Information Day Quotes
“The ultimate objective of development must be to bring about sustained improvement in the well-being of the individual and to bestow benefits on all.”
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.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
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 — resolution 3038 (XXVII) (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — World Development Information Day (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)
United Nations Yearbook 1973 — first observance (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 World Development Information Day?
24 October The documented recurrence rule is: 24 October.
Does World Development Information Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is World Development Information Day 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 World Development Information Day?
The reviewed sources identify United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body.
Is World Development Information Day 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 was World Development Information Day created?
The General Assembly instituted the Day through resolution 3038 (XXVII), adopted on 19 December 1972.
Why is it on 24 October?
The Assembly chose 24 October so the observance would coincide with United Nations Day and the anniversary of the 1970 adoption of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade.
When was it first observed?
The UN Yearbook records the first observance on 24 October 1973.
Other observances on October 24
These observances are also listed on October 24, 2027.
Food Day
CSPI’s 2011 annual report documents the relaunch of national Food Day and its October 24 date, modeled as a public education and food-system campaign.
Independence Day
Zambia State House, Parliament and government sources verify October 24, the 1964 independence anchor and continuing national-day/public-holiday recurrence.
National Tight End Day
NFL material documents the origin and league recognition of National Tight End Day; NFL team material describes it as observed on the fourth Sunday in October.
United Nations Day
A/RES/168 (II)