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United Nations International Day of Peace Youth Observance to Open Global Dialogue on Recovering Better for Equitable, Sustainable World, 17 September

The 2021 United Nations International Day of Peace Youth Observance invites young people from around the world, including students from conflict zones, for a global dialogue on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and building a better world for people and planet.

The virtual Youth Observance will take place on 17 September at 10 a.m. EDT.  It will begin with statements from Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and United Nations Messengers of Peace Midori, Paulo Coelho and Jane Goodall.

Youth will participate in a question-and-answer session with the Secretary-General and the Messengers of Peace before expressing their vision on how to recover better from the pandemic, and how to transform the world into one that is more just, equitable, sustainable and resilient.

The youth contributors are from some 20 countries, including Albania, Japan, Malawi, Myanmar, South Sudan, United States and Venezuela.  Among them, a student from the Central African Republic who is hard of hearing will speak about peace and human rights on behalf of youth with disabilities.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will also participate.  A young student from an UNRWA school in Gaza will share her experience growing up amid conflict in an interview with a Deputy School Principal.

A musical performance will be presented by Margo Arsane, mezzo-soprano, and Toby Hession, pianist, representing The Peace and Prosperity Trust.  The Youth Observance will close with a presentation by youth participants in the Peace Pals International Arts Exhibition and Awards.

The International Day of Peace was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981 as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and ceasefire.  The 2021 theme is “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world”.

Participants can register to attend the virtual Youth Observance at https://bit.ly/RSVP2021PeaceDay, and/or tune in at 10 a.m. EDT on Friday, 17 September, through one of the following platforms:

Additional information and multilingual visual materials are available in all six official United Nations languages on the International Day of Peace website at:  http://www.un.org/peaceday and https://trello.com/b/gNBFHVdv/international-day-of-peace.

Media contacts:  Tracey Petersen, email:  petersen3@un.org; and Bo Li, email:  li15@un.org, United Nations Department of Global Communications.

For information media. Not an official record.