World Radio Day

World Radio Day is celebrated annually on February 13 to recognize radio as a method for teaching individuals, transporting data and promoting the opportunity of expression across global cultures.

Radio is a medium that has kept its prominence alive even in the age of newer discoveries. The science of transmitting waves to send news, promote education and transmit information has moulded with the onslaught of television and new media.

World Radio Day: History

The Executive Board of UNESCO recommended first to the General Conference regarding the proclamation of World Radio Day.

On the proposal of the Director-General of UNESCO, Radio was established in 1946.

Thereafter, the 36th session of UNESCO’s General Conference proclaimed February 13 as World Radio Day.

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly endorsed UNESCO’s proclamation of World Radio Day on 14 January in 2013.

Following this, the 67th session of the UN General Assembly, a resolution was adopted for proclaiming 13 February as World Radio Day.

Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on 10 December. It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The formal inception of Human Rights Day dates from 1950, after the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V) inviting all States and interested organizations to adopt 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day.

When the General Assembly adopted the Declaration, with 48 states in favor and eight abstentions, it was proclaimed as a “common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations”, towards which individuals and societies should “strive by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance”. Although the Declaration with its broad range of political, civil, social, cultural and economic rights is not a binding document, it inspired more than 60 human rights instruments which together constitute an international standard of human rights. Today the general consent of all United Nations Member States on the basic Human Rights laid down in the Declaration makes it even stronger and emphasizes the relevance of Human Rights in our daily lives.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, as the main United Nations rights official, and his Office play a major role in coordinating efforts for the yearly observation of Human Rights Day.

National Pollution Control Day

National Pollution Control Day is observed every year on December 2. The aim behind the celebration of this day is to commemorate the people who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred on this day in the year 1984.

Significance of National Pollution Control Day
According to the National Health Portal of India, every year around 7 million people globally die due to air pollution. It also states that the condition is so worse that nine among ten people globally do not have access to safe air. Notably, the pollutants present in the air can potentially pass through the protective barriers present in the body and can damage your lungs, brain, and heart. It is the air pollution that is responsible for the damage of the ozone layer. This shows how impact air pollution is.

Today is the 35th anniversary of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that took the life of thousands of people at the midnight on December 2 in the year 1984. Considered as the world’s worst industrial disaster, Bhopal Gas Tragedy occurred after a highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas made its way into and around the area situated near the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal. According to the official data, the incident claimed the lives of 2,259 people immediately after the incident. However, the government of Madhya Pradesh has confirmed that a total of 3787 people died due to the gas release.

Remembrance Day

Armistice Day is on 11 November and is also known as Remembrance Day.

It marks the day World War One ended, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918.

A two-minute silence is held at 11am to remember the people who have died in wars.

There is also Remembrance Sunday every year, which falls on the second Sunday in November.

On this day, there are usually ceremonies at war memorials, cenotaphs and churches throughout the country, as well as abroad.

The Royal Family and top politicians gather at The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, for a memorial service.

The anniversary is used to remember all the people who have died in wars – not just World War One.

This includes World War Two, the Falklands War, the Gulf War, and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

United Nations Day 24 October

United Nations Day marks the anniversary of the UN Charter’s entry into force, and celebrates everything that the UN represents and has achieved since its establishment in 1945. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.

24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by Member States as a public holiday.

Each year, the global network of UN Information Centers organizes a variety of events to mark UN Day. Activities range from ceremonies, seminars, panel discussions, symposiums to series of briefings for students, art competitions, rallies, film screenings and book/photo exhibitions, media campaigns- including interviews and newspaper supplements- and social media campaigns.