The United Nations designates and declares international decades. The UN designates various days, weeks, years, and decades as occasions to mark particular events or issues in order to promote the Organization’s goals through public awareness and action. The General Assembly usually adopts resolutions establishing these observances after one or more Member States request them to do so. These decades are occasionally designated by the UN based on the concern issues and expertise of the specialised agencies, such as UNESCO, UNICEF, FAO, etc.
INTERNATIONAL DECADES OF UNITED NATIONS
1960-70 : United Nations Development Decade
1970s : Disarmament Decade
1971-80 : Second United Nations Development Decade
1973-83 : Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination
1976-85 : United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace
1978-88 : Transport and Communications Decade for Africa
1980s : Industrial Development Decade for Africa
1980-90 : Second Disarmament Decade
1981-90 : International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade
Third United Nations Development Decade
1983-19 : United Nations Decade for Disabled Persons
1983-93 : Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination
1988-97 : World Decade for Cultural Development
1990s : Third Disarmament Decade
1990-99 : United Nations Decade of International Law
International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
1990-2000 : International Decade for the Eradiication of Colonialism
1991-2000 : Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa
Second Transport and Communications Decade in Africa
United Nations Decade Against Drug Abuse
Fourth United Nations Development Decade
1993-2000 : Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination
1994-2004 : Decade of the World’s Indigenous People
1995-2004 : Decade for Human Rights Education
1997-2006 : Decade for the Eradication for Poverty
2001-10 : International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World
Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa
Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism
2003-12 : United Nations Literacy Decade: Education for All
2005-14 : United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People
2005-15 : International Decade for Action, “Water for Life”
2006-16 : Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the
Affected Regions (third decade after the Chernobyl disaster)
2008-17 : Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty
2010-20 : United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification
2011-20 : Third International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism
United Nations Decade on Biodiversity
Decade of Action for Road Safety
2014-24 : United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy for All
2015-24 : International Decade for People of African Descent
2016-25 : United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition
Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa
2018-2027 Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty
2019–2028 Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace
2019–2028 Nations Decade of Family Farming
2018–2028 International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”
2022–2032 International Decade of Indigenous Languages
2021–2030 United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing
2021–2030 Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism
2021–2030 Second Decade of Action for Road Safety
2021–2030 United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
2021–2030 United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable
Development