Rotary Day at the United Nations

Rotary Day at the United Nations celebrates the shared commitment of Rotary and the UN to peace, collaboration, and humanitarian action worldwide.

Purpose

Rotary Day at the United Nations highlights the collaboration between Rotary and the United Nations, bringing communities together to promote peace, health, education, and sustainable development. These events showcase the importance of grassroots action and partnership in addressing the most pressing global challenges.

Who attends?

Rotary Day at the United Nations is open to the public. The audience often includes:

• Rotary International leaders, members, and program participants
• Leaders from the United Nations and experts from other nongovernmental agencies
• Service-oriented members of the community, young leaders, thought leaders, and influencers

2025 Event: “Global Goals, Local Action: Rotary Commemorates the UN at 80”

Rotary will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter with a special event on 11 December in San Francisco at the War Memorial Veterans’ Building, the very site where the UN Charter was signed in 1945. This daylong gathering will bring together Rotary members, community leaders, and international partners to recognize Rotary’s longstanding relationship with the UN and focus on the urgency and opportunity of the next five years as the world works toward the 2030 deadline for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Attendees will examine how civil society, multilateral institutions, and community members can recommit to collective progress towards achieving the SDGs and explore how local collaboration and innovation can drive scalable solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. The event will serve as an opportunity to foster shared learning and inspire renewed commitment to the values and vision that shaped the UN 80 years ago.

Past events

November 2024: The first-ever Rotaract UN Days in Geneva, Switzerland gathered over 200 Rotaract members, youth leaders, Rotarians, and UN agency representatives to inspire the next generation of leaders to contribute to global development through human rights, health, economic development, peacebuilding efforts, and science.

May 2024: Rotary partnered with UNESCO to hold a joint conference examining the theme of “Education, Culture, Planet: How do Rotary and UNESCO contribute to Peace?” The day-long conference brought together over 400 attendees, highlighting the convergence of thought and action between UNESCO and Rotary, and underscoring their joint contribution to peace, education, and sustainable development.

October 2023: Under the theme of “World Polio Day 2022 and Beyond,” Rotary members and the World Health Organization gathered in Geneva, Switzerland to advocate a healthier future for mothers and children. The livestreamed event brought in more than 20,000 video views, 73,000 engagements and 1.7 million social media impressions – reemphasizing how every individual’s contribution is vital in the final push to eradicate polio worldwide.

March 2022: In a joint livestreamed event with Rotary and UNICEF, individuals from across the world convened in New York, USA. The effort to advance girls empowerment through social action, health, education and more garnered 20,000 video views, 18,000 engagements and 310,000 social media impressions. Additionally, Six Rotary and Rotaract members were honored as People of Action for their contributions as Champions of Girls’ Empowerment.

February 2021: Rotary partnered with the World Health Organization to host a virtual event titled “Rotary | World Health Organization: Together for Mothers’ and Children’s Health” – highlighting community-based solutions for improving maternal and child health outcomes.

November 2020: In collaboration with the European Union (EU), Rotary hosted hosted an online Global Health Security conference. The event brought together Rotary members and global health stakeholders to discuss the importance of collaboration and coordination on international public health development.

2019: Five Rotary members and a Rotary Peace Fellow were honored as People of Action: Connectors Beyond Borders for their community-based solutions to the refugee crisis.

2018: Nearly a thousand Rotary leaders, members, and guests from around the world met in Nairobi, Kenya, to honor six Rotaract and Rotary members age 35 or under as Rotary People of Action: Young Innovators.

2017: Under the theme of “Peace: Making a Difference,” Rotary honored six Rotary members or Rotary Peace Centers alumni who have done outstanding work for peace, professionally or as volunteers.

Rotary People of Action Honors

Historically, the Rotary People of Action Honors were acknowledged as a part of Rotary Days at the United Nations. Since 2024, the People of Action Honors are formally recognized at the Rotary International Convention.