Last Updated:
International Day of Human Fraternity is celebrated to promote religious and cultural tolerance.
International Day of Human Fraternity is observed every year on February 4. (Image: Shutterstock)
International Day of Human Fraternity 2025: Every year, February 4 is observed as the International Day of Human Fraternity to celebrate and take steps towards unifying people across the globe as a human community irrespective of religion and culture. It emphasises the importance of unity amidst rapidly changing political, economic, and ethno-nationalistic conditions across the world.
International Day of Human Fraternity was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2020 to promote greater cultural and religious tolerance. The International Day of Human Fraternity was first celebrated by the United Nations on February 4, 2021.Itaims to highlight how all religions and cultures enhance our lives and advance humanity in the face of growing religious intolerance in some regions.
International Day of Human Fraternity: History
In 2020, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution of 75/200 designating February 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity. The day was instituted to celebrate the historic document “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”, being signed by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, and Pope Francis on February 4, 2019.
The document promotes the values of love, mutual respect, and cooperation between people of different religions and cultures and aims to create a world where everyone can live in peace and dignity.
The International Day of Human Fraternity coincided with several hate crimes against religious minorities occurring all across the world. Asians in the West, Uighur Muslims in China, and Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
The United Nations stated in its 2020 resolution its “deep concern at those acts that advocate religious hatred and thereby undermine the spirit of tolerance and respect for diversity, especially at a time when the world confronts the unprecedented crisis caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which requires a global response based on unity, solidarity, and renewed multilateral cooperation.”
Nonetheless, the fundamental principles of the ideology underlying this day have existed since 1999. It remains the universal mandate for the international community, especially the United Nations system, to promote a culture of peace and non-violence that benefits all of humanity, including future generations, as the General Assembly adopted the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace in 1999 by resolution 53/243.
International Day of Human Fraternity: Significance
The UN emphasises the value of educating people about many cultures, faiths, and beliefs as well as the role that education plays in fostering tolerance through the International Day of Human Fraternity.
The International Day of Human Fraternity recognises that human brotherhood is fostered by the diversity of religions and beliefs, tolerance, pluralistic traditions, and respect for one another.
International Day of Human Fraternity: Celebrations
The United Nations, religious leaders, and civil society organisations hold events to commemorate the International Day of Human Fraternity, which promotes interfaith discussion, mutual respect, and understanding across cultures and religions.
Several organisations mark the day with educational seminars, interfaith services, virtual events, award ceremonies, and even social media awareness campaigns.
International Day of Human Fraternity: Key Facts
The International Day of Human Fraternity is held to honour the value of people coming together to live in harmony and the importance of unity in variety.
On February 4, 2019, Pope Francis and Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, signed the historic document, Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.
The United Nations General Assembly created the International Day of Human Fraternity on December 21, 2020. Since then, February 4 has been the annual date for the International Day of Human Fraternity.
The United Nations (UN) first commemorated the day in 2021. The UN Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC), the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, and the Permanent Missions of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to the UN planned an event to commemorate it.
