The UN General Assembly in 2009 declared 18 July as Nelson Mandela International Day in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.
To mark this day, the UN joins a call by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to devote 67 minutes of time to helping other.
General Assembly recognizes Nelson Mandela’s values and his dedication to the service of humanity, in the fields of conflict resolution, race relations, the promotion and protection of human rights, reconciliation, gender equality and the rights of children and other vulnerable groups, as well as the upliftment of poor and underdeveloped communities.
This day acknowledges his contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world.
About Nelson Mandela
- Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist who served as its President from 1994 to 1999.
- He was South Africa’s first black President and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election.
- He has served 27 years in prison.
- For 67 years Nelson Mandela devoted his life to the service of humanity as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa.