International Years Information

Since 1959 the United Nations has designated International years in oerder to draw attention to major issues and to encourage international action to address concerns which have global importance and ramifications.There is a concerted effort not to designate every year for fiscal reasons and to avoid any process of trivialization.The following is the chronological list of years designated to date:
     YearsImportant Years
1959/60World Refugee Year
1965International Co-operation Year
1967International Tourism Year
1968International  Year for Human Rights
1970International Education Year
1971International Year for Action to Combat Racism & Racial Discrimination
1974World Population Year
1975International Women’s Year
1978International Anti-Apartheid Year
1979International Year of the Child
1981International  Year  of Disabled Persons
1982International Year of Mobilisation for Sanctions Against South Africa
1983World Communications Year
1985International Youth Year
1986International Year of   Peace
1987International Year of  Shelter for the Homeless
1990International Literacy Year
1992International Space Year  (endorsed, not declared)
1993International Year for World’s Indigenous People
1994International Year of the Family and International Year of  Sport & Olympic Ideal
1995United Nations Year for Tolerance
1996International Year for the  Eradication of poverty
1998International Year of the Ocean
1999International Year of older persons, and centennial of the First International Peace Conference
2000International year for the Culture of Peace, and International year of Thanksgiving
20001International year of Volunteers; and United Nations year of Dialogue among Civilization; and International year Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
2002International year of Mountains; and International year of  Culture Heritage; and International year of Ecotourism
2003International Year  of  Fresh water
2004International  year to Commemorate  the struggle against Slavery and Its Abolition; and International year of Rice
2005International Year of Physics; International year Microcredit; and International Year for Sport and Physical Education
2006International Year  of Deserts and Desertification
2008International Year of Potato
2009International Year of Fibers
2010International Year of Youth
2011International Year of Chemistry
2012International Year of CO-operatives
2013International Year of Water-Cooperation
2014International Year of  Crystallography
2015International Year of  Soil
2016International Year of  Pulses