The United Nations (UN’s) Nelson Mandela International Day is annually celebrated on 18th July around the world to recognise Nelson Mandela’s immense contribution towards justice, peace and his long years of struggle for justice against apartheid.
The day also marks the birth anniversary of Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela who played a significant role in creating a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa.
- The day is also known as Mandela Day.
- The 2022 Mandela Day marks the 104th birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela
The theme for Nelson Mandela International Day 2022 is “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”.
Background:
i.In November 2009 the UN General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution A/RES/64/13 to declare 18 of July every year as “Nelson Mandela International Day”.
ii.The resolution acknowledges his contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world.
iii.The first UN’s Nelson Mandela International Day was observed on 18th July 2010.
- In 2014, the UNGA introduced the United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize (Nelson Mandela Prize) to honour the achievements of those who dedicated their lives to humanity. It was awarded for the first time in 2015 and the second time in 2020.
Nelson Mandela Rules:
i.UNGA’s A/RES/70/175 resolution adopted the revised United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
- It was also approved that these rules should be known as the “Nelson Mandela Rules” to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela.
ii.The objective is to promote humane conditions of imprisonment; to raise awareness about prisoners being a continuous part of society; to value the work of prison staff as a social service of particular importance.
Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace 2019 – 2028:
The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/73/1 on 24th September 2018 during the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit and recognised the period from 2019 to 2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace.
About Nelson Mandela:
i.Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 in Mvezo, South Africa. He was a human rights lawyer, a political prisoner and a global mediator.
- He is also known as ‘Madiba’ which means “Father of the Nation”.
ii.He was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first black president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
iii.He was the country’s first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election.
Awards:
i.He jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 with Frederik Willem de Klerk for peacefully bringing down the Apartheid system and establishing the groundwork for democracy.
ii.Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, was presented to him in 1990.
iii.He has also received more than 250 additional honours.
Books:
- ‘’Long Walk to Freedom’’, the Autobiography of Nelson Mandela.
- ‘‘I am prepared to die’’
- ‘’The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela’’
