2023 Campaign

2023

The First Observance

On 24 July 2023, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/77/317, proclaiming 29 October as the International Day of Care and Support. The resolution invites Member States, United Nations system organisations, other international, regional and subregional organisations, and a range of stakeholders — including civil society, the private sector, academia and the public — to observe the Day annually to raise awareness of the importance of care and support and their contribution to gender equality and the sustainability of societies and economies. It also highlights the urgent need to invest in a resilient and inclusive care economy and to develop robust and sustainable care and support systems.

Just a few months after its proclamation, the world observed the International Day of Care and Support for the first time. Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), the National Institute for Women (Inmujeres), the United Nations Office in Mexico and the Global Alliance for Care organised an event to examine the contributions of Mexican foreign policy, particularly its Feminist Foreign Policy, and national policies to the care agenda and its links to human rights. The event also provided an opportunity to identify further actions to advance a caring society and highlight efforts to promote recognition of the right to care, which is fundamental to achieving equality.

These early gatherings brought together representatives of governments, international organisations, civil society, trade unions, experts and advocates for the rights of those who provide and receive care and support. The first commemoration marked the beginning of a global conversation about care as a need, a form of work, a right and a public good. That conversation continues today, highlighting the contribution of care to collective well-being, economic growth, violence prevention and stronger social cohesion.