Nelson Mandela International Day
18 July

UN Headquarters — NYC

UN Headquarters, 18 July — 10:00 a.m. (EST)

The United Nations General Assembly marks Nelson Mandela International Day with an informal plenary meeting.

• Theme: “It's still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity” Secretary-General's Message for 2025

Speakers:

• H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang (President of the General Assembly)
• H.E. Mr. António Guterres (UN Secretary-General)
• H.E. Ms. Naledi Pandor (Former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa)
• Ms. Brenda Reynolds, 2025 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize laureate
• Mr. Kennedy Odede, 2025 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize laureate
• Chairpersons of regional groups

Multimedia:

• Watch the event on UN WebTV (broadcast live at 10:00 a.m. EST) >>
• Watch the event on UN YouTube (broadcast live at 10:00 a.m. EST) >>
• UN News story — Indigenous youth meet trailblazers ahead of Nelson Mandela Day >>

Public Service Activity — NYC

Governors Island, New York Harbor, 18 July — afternoon

Volunteering for #MandelaDay: On 18 July, the annual volunteer event in honour of Nelson Mandela will take place on Governors Island in New York Harbor. Volunteers will weed and pick up trash, enjoying the spectacular scenery with friends and colleagues.

Each year, individuals around the world are encouraged to dedicate 67 minutes of their time on this day to community service – in honor of the 67 years that Nelson Mandela devoted to public service and the pursuit of social justice. This year, we reflect and act under the theme: “It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity.”

The UN is also cross promoting this event and encouraging colleagues to undertake additional service projects through the ActNow campaign app.

Organizers:

The volunteer activity was a collaboration co-organized by the NYC Mayor's Office for International Affairs, the UN Department for Global Communications, the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly, and the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the UN. In cooperation with the Governors Island Foundation.