The United Nations (UN)’s Nelson Mandela International Day (also known as Mandela Day) is annually observed across the globe on 18 July to recognise Nelson Mandela’s values and his dedication to the service of humanity in conflict resolution, race relations, promotion and protection of human rights, reconciliation, gender equality, etc.
- The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Nobel peace prize winner (1993) Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the former President of South Africa.
- 18th July 2024 marks the 106th birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela. He was born on 1th8 July 1918.
The 2024 theme of Nelson Mandela International Day is “It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity”.
Background:
i.On 10 November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/64/13, proclaiming 18 July of every year as Nelson Mandela International Day.
- This resolution acknowledges his contribution to the struggle for democracy internationally, the promotion of social justice, the fight against poverty, and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world.
ii.The 1st UN Nelson Mandela International Day was observed on 18 July 2010.
The UN Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize:
i.On 6 June 2014, the UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/68/275, establishing the UN Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize, an honorary award presented once every 5 years.
ii.The prize recognise 2 individuals (one female and one male) from different regions for their outstanding achievements and contributions of individuals to the purposes and principles of the UN.
- The inaugural award was presented to Helena Ndume (Namibia), and Jorge Fernando Branco Sampaio (Portugal) in 2015 and the Prize was awarded for the 2nd time in 2020, to Marianna V. Vardinoyannis (Greece), and Dr. Morissanda Kouyaté (Guinea).
The Nelson Mandela Rules:
i.On 17 December 2015, the UNGA adopted a revised set of rules known as the “UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners” in resolution A/RES/70/175.
- It also approved that the rules should be known as “the Nelson Mandela Rules” to honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy.
ii.The UNGA expanded Nelson Mandela International Day to promote humane prison conditions, raise awareness that prisoners remain part of society, and recognise prison staff’s vital work.
iii.The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) serves as the custodian of these rules for the humane treatment of prisoners and conducts an annual global campaign on the theme, #PrisonersMatter.
Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace (2019 – 2028):
i.On 24 September 2018, world leaders gathered at the UN Headquarters in New York, the United States of America (USA) for the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit.
ii.At the Summit, the UNGA adopted a resolution A/RES/73/1, recognising the period from 2019 to 2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace.
About Nelson Mandela:
i.He was born in Mvezo, Transkei in South Africa. He was an anti-apartheid activist, and politician, who served as the first Black president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
ii.He was inaugurated as the first democratically elected President of South Africa in 1994. He passed away on 5 December 2013.
iii.He also served as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Goodwill Ambassador.
Awards/Honours:
i.In 1990, the Indian Government honoured him with the Bharat Ratna for his contributions to Public Affairs.
ii.In 1991, Nelson Mandela was awarded the UNESCO-Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize.
iii.In 1993, Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk (South Africa) were awarded jointly with the Nobel Peace Prize, for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime and laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa.
Books:
Long Way to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela; No Easy Walk to Freedom; The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela.
2024 Events:
i.On 18 July 2024, the UNGA organised an informal meeting of the plenary to observe Nelson Mandela International Day at the UN Headquarters in New York.
ii.Public Service Activity: On 18 July 2024, the annual volunteer event in honour of Nelson Mandela was held on Randall’s Island in New York City (NYC).
- The volunteer activity was a collaboration co-organised by the NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, the UN Department for Global Communications (DGC), the Office of the President of the UNGA, and the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the UN, in partnership with Randall’s Park Alliance.
