United Nations Observed 5th International Day for People of African Descent on August 31, 2025.
Important Days
The United Nations (UN) observed the 5th International Day for People of African Descent on 31st August 2025. The day recognizes the contributions of the African diaspora globally while combating racism, racial discrimination, and all forms of intolerance against people of African descent.
- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted resolution A/RES/75/170 on 16th December 2020, designating 31st August every year as the International Day for People of African Descent. The resolution was championed by Costa Rica, a Central American nation, to highlight equality, justice, and inclusion.
- The first observance took place on 31st August 2021, marking the conclusion of the centennial of the 1st International Convention of the Negro Peoples of the World held in 1920 by the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). This historic connection gives the day deep symbolic and cultural significance.
Main Point :- (i) The 5th observance in 2025 is significant as it coincides with the beginning of the Second International Decade for People of African Descent (2025–2034), proclaimed by the UNGA in December 2024 under the theme "People of African Descent: Recognition, Justice, and Development." This builds on the first decade (2015–2024).
(ii) On 2nd August 2021, the UNGA adopted resolution A/RES/75/314 to establish the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. This forum plays a vital role in improving safety, livelihoods, and quality of life for people of African descent worldwide through advocacy, consultation, and UN system cooperation.
(iii) The observance reaffirms the UN’s commitment to fighting systemic racism and promoting the rights of people of African descent, acknowledging their immense cultural, political, economic, and social contributions to global development and human progress.
About Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)
President : Stephen Golding
Headquarters : New York, the United States of America(USA)
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