The United Nations has set aside certain days each year for the observance of both overall and specific human rights issues.

January
27 January: International Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

February
20 February: World Day of Social Justice
21 February: International Mother Language Day

March
8 March: International Women's Day
21 March: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
22 March: World Water Day
23 March: World Meteorological Day
25 March: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

April
2 April: World Autism Awareness Day
4 April: International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
7 April: World Health Day
23 April: World Book and Copyright Day

May
3 May: World Press Freedom Day
8—9 May: Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War
15 May: International Day of Families
17 May: World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
21 May: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
22 May: International Day for Biological Diversity
29 May: International Day of UN Peacekeepers
31 May: World No-Tobacco Day

June
4 June: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
17 June: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
20 June: World Refugee Day
23 June: United Nations Public Service Day
26 June: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
26 June: United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

July
5 July (first Saturday): International Day of Cooperatives
11 July: World Population Day.

August
9 August: International Day of the World's Indigenous People
12 August: International Youth Day
23 August: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition

September
8 September: International Literacy Day
15 September: International Day of Democracy
16 September: International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
21 September: International Day of Peace
Last week of September: World Maritime Day

October
1 October: International Day of Older Persons
2 October: International Day of Non-Violence
5 October: World Teachers' Day
8 October (first Monday): World Habitat Day
8 October (second Wednesday): International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction
9 October: World Post Day
10 October: World Mental Health Day
15 October: International Day of Rural Women
16 October: World Food Day
17 October: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
24 October: World Development Information Day
24 October: United Nations Day

November
6 November: International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
14 November: World Diabetes Day
16 November: International Day for Tolerance
16 November (third Sunday): World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
20 November: Africa Industrialization Day
20 November: Universal Children's Day
21 November: World Television Day
25 November: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
29 November: International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

December
2 December: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
3 December: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
5 December: International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development
7 December: International Civil Aviation Day
9 December: International Anti-Corruption Day
10 December: Human Rights Day
11 December: International Mountain Day
18 December: International Migrants Day
19 December: United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
20 December: International Human Solidarity Day