World Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Day is annually observed across the globe on 27 February to recognise, celebrate, and honour all non-governmental and nonprofit organisations that contribute to society all year round.
- The Day also acknowledges the selfless contributions of volunteers supporting these organisations and recognises the missions and contributions of such organisations.
- 27 February 2024 marks the observance of the 11th edition of World NGO Day.
The theme for World NGO Day 2024 is “Building a Sustainable Future: The Role of NGOs in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
Background:
i.World NGO Day was created in the European Union (EU) and was the brainchild of Latvian-British tech entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Marcis Liors Skadmanis of the United Kingdom(UK).
ii.World NGO Day was officially proposed and recognised on 17 April 2010, by 12 countries of the Baltic Sea NGO Forum in Vilnius, Lithuania.
iii.In 2012, the Baltic Sea NGO Forum Committee accepted World NGO Day, under the Presidency of the German Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) at the Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.
- It was accepted during the X Baltic Sea NGO Forum: “Social Capital for a Sustainable Baltic Sea Region”.
iv.The first global inaugural event of World NGO Day was hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland on 27 February 2014 in Helsinki, Finland.
Note: The member countries of the Baltic Sea NGO Forum were Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Norway and Sweden.
What is an NGO?
i.NGOs, also referred to as Non-Profit organisations (NPOs), Civil Society organisations (CSOs), Charitable organisations, women’s organisations, membership organisations, charities or the third sector.
ii.NGOs are non-profit, citizen-based groups that function independently of government.
iii.The term “non-governmental organization” was created in Article 71 of the Charter of the newly formed United Nations (UN) in 1945.
About Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS):
It is an intergovernmental organisation that promotes cooperation and trust among the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea Region (BSR).
Presidency– Finnish Presidency (2023-2024)
Headquarters– Stockholm Sweden
Established in– 1992
Members- Consisting of 11 members: 10 member states plus the EU.
