Since 1959 the UN has designated International years in order 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:
| Year | Designated to |
| 1959/60 | World Refugee Year |
| 1965 | International Cooperation Year |
| 1967 | International Tourism Year |
| 1968 | International Year for Human Rights |
| 1970 | International Education Year |
| 1971 | International Year for Action to Combat Racism & Racial Discrimination |
| 1974 | World Population Year |
| 1975 | International Women’s Year |
| 1978 | International Anti-Apartheid Year |
| 1979 | International Year of the Child |
| 1981 | International Year of Disabled Persons |
| 1982 | International Year of Mobilisation for Sanctions Against South Africa |
| 1983 | World Communications Year |
| 1985 | International Youth Year |
| 1986 | International Year of Peace |
| 1987 | International Year of Shelter for the Homeless |
| 1990 | International Literacy Year |
| 1992 | International Space Year (endorsed, not declared) |
| 1993 | International Year for World’s Indigenous People |
| 1994 | International Year of the Family; International Year of Sport & Olympic Ideal |
| 1995 | United Nations Year for Tolerance |
| 1996 | International Year for the Eradication of Poverty |
| 1998 | International Year of the Ocean |
| 1999 | International Year of Older Persons; Centennial of the First International Peace Conference |
| 2000 | International Year for the Culture of Peace; International Year of Thanksgiving |
| 2001 | International Year of Volunteers; United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations; International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance |
| 2002 | International Year of Mountains; International Year of Culture Heritage; International Year of Ecotourism |
| 2003 | International Year of Freshwater |
| 2004 | International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition; International Year of Rice |
| 2005 | International Year of Microcredit; International Year for Sport and Physical Education |
| 2006 | International Year of Deserts and Desertification |
| 2008 | International Year of the Potato; International Year of Planet Earth; International Year of Sanitation; International Year of Languages |
| 2009 | International Year of Human Rights Learning - from 10 December 2008 (Human Rights Day) to 10 December 2009 International Year of Reconciliation; International Year of Natural Fibres; International Year of Astronomy |
| 2010 | International Year of Biodiversity; International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding - from 12 August 2010 (International Youth Day) to 11 August 2011 |
| 2011 | International Year of Forests; International Year of Chemistry; International Year for People of African Descent |
| 2012 | International Year of Cooperatives International Year of Sustainable Energy for All |
| 2013 | International Year of Water Cooperation International Year of Quinoa |
| 2014 | International Year of Crystallography International Year of Family Farming International Year of Small Island Developing States International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People |
| 2015 | International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies International Year of Soils |
| 2016 | International Year of Pulses; International Year of Camelids |
| 2017 | International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development |
| 2018 | Not declared 2018 as International Year |
| 2019 | International Year of Indigenous Languages International Year of Moderation International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements |
| 2020 | International Year of Plant Health |
| 2021 | International Year of Peace and Trust |
| 2022 | International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture |
| 2024 | International Year of Camelids |
Last updated on: 21/10/2019
