World Science Day for Peace and Development 2026 is on Tuesday

About World Science Day for Peace and Development

The day is about the relationship between science and society. UNESCO uses it to argue that people should be kept informed about scientific developments and invited into debates on new issues, and that research should serve the common good. Its stated aims include raising public awareness of science's role in peaceful and sustainable societies, encouraging countries to share science with one another and drawing attention to the difficulties of securing support for research.

The idea came out of the World Conference on Science held in Budapest in 1999, where participants adopted the Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge and a framework for action. A yearly day was seen as a way to renew those commitments. UNESCO proclaimed World Science Day for Peace and Development in 2001, and the first one was celebrated around the world on November 10, 2002, with national UNESCO commissions, research institutions, science teachers, schools and the media taking part.

According to the UN, the day has generated projects, programs and funding for science in many countries, and it has supported cooperation between scientists in regions affected by conflict; one example UNESCO cites is its support for the creation of the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization. The day now sits within the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024 to 2033), which the UN General Assembly declared in August 2023. UNESCO framed the 2025 edition around the theme "Trust, Transformation, and Tomorrow: The Science We Need for 2050."

Sources: United Nations: World Science Day for Peace and Development, UNESCO: World Science Day for Peace and Development. How we check dates.

How to mark World Science Day for Peace and Development

• Attend a public lecture, open lab or science cafe at a nearby university or research institute.
• Read a recent report on a scientific issue that affects your community, such as water, health or climate, and discuss it with friends or a class.
• Invite a local researcher to talk to students about their work and how it connects to daily life.
• Take part in a citizen science project, such as recording birds, weather or water quality in your area.
• Teachers can organize a debate on a current science question, asking students to weigh the evidence on both sides.

World Science Day for Peace and Development dates