Today is International Human Solidarity Day

The United Nations' (UN) International Human Solidarity Day is annually held on December 20 to celebrate unity in diversity. It also aims to remind people on the importance of solidarity in working towards eradicating poverty.

On International Human Solidarity Day, governments are reminded of their commitments to international agreements on the need for human solidarity as an initiative to fight against poverty. People are encouraged to debate on ways to promote solidarity and find innovative methods to help eradicate poverty.

Activities may include promoting campaigns on issues such as:

Banning land mines
Making health and medication accessible to those in need
Relief efforts to help those who suffered the effects of natural or human-made disasters
Achieving universal education
Fighting against poverty, corruption and terrorism

The 2014 theme is: Moving together as one: Solidarity as the foundation of the UN development agenda beyond 2015.

"The world shapes a new sustainable development agenda to succeed the Millennium Development Goals, the largest anti-poverty campaign in history, by 2015.

“Only through collective action can we address such far reaching issues as poverty and growing inequality, climate change, chronic poverty and major health challenges, such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa," United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Day.