The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.

The resolution places emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity.

To mark the International Day of Friendship the UN encourages governments, international organizations and civil society groups to hold events, activities and initiatives that contribute to the efforts of the international community towards promoting a dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation.

The International Day of Friendship is an initiative that follows on the proposal made by UNESCO defining the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems. It was then adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1997.

How To Celebrate Friendship Day 2023

• Meet a friend for lunch, dinner, or happy hourHave friends you haven’t seen in a while? Or, perhaps some with whom you only do the same activities over and again. Why not change things up and plan a casual outing with friends for International Day of Friendship, to make new memories and share a few laughs.
• Attend a community cultural celebrationIs there a community centre near you that you’ve been meaning to check out but haven’t yet had the opportunity to do so? This is the perfect opportunity to be able to check out the schedule and attend any events hosted there, meet some new people, and learn about new cultures or lifestyles that already exist within blocks of your front door.
• Send a greeting cardHallmark introduced us to the concept of celebrating friendship, so why not send a note to a few of your friends on International Friendship Day to let them know how important they are to you?