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Unifor marks the UN International Day of Peace, first established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly and later designated unanimously in 2001 as a global call for non-violence and cease-fire.
Each year on September 21, people everywhere are urged to reflect on the meaning of peace and to recommit to advancing it in their communities and across the world. The 2025 theme, Act Now for a Peaceful World, comes at a time when the need for action could not be clearer.
According to the Global Peace Index, there are now 59 active state-based conflicts – the most seen since the Second World War. Wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar continue to devastate societies and displace millions.
Working people and civilians carry the heaviest burdens of these conflicts. Emergency first responders, health care workers, humanitarian aid workers, and journalists face unimaginable risks to provide care and report the truth. Families are uprooted, children are denied safe futures, and communities are left fractured.
While more countries may choose to increase military spending, neglecting investments in public services such as health care, education, housing, and foreign aid undermines efforts to sustain peace over time. This path increases instability and makes the world more fragmented and hostile.
Unifor stands with the international community, including global labour unions and allies, in calling for meaningful steps toward de-escalation and ceasefire. The current reliance on armed conflict to resolve disputes is unsustainable for people, for the planet and for our collective humanity.
Through our Social Justice Fund, Unifor continues to support organizations working in the most dangerous conditions – Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, and UNHCR among them. Their efforts to protect, heal and defend those most impacted by war reflect the same values of solidarity, justice and compassion that guide our union.
On this International Day of Peace, Unifor reaffirms that peace is more than the absence of war. It is built on fairness, dignity, equality and respect for human rights. These are the foundations of a just and peaceful world, and they are worth fighting for.
