Wuhan (TDI): The International Day of Peace 2026 was commemorated in China’s Wuhan on Monday with an opening ceremony bringing together senior Chinese officials and international figures under the theme “Meeting Challenges Together for a Peaceful World.”
The opening ceremony was held at the Yangtze River Hall of the East Lake International Conference Center in Wuhan on Monday. The event coincided with the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, observed annually on September 21 to promote peace, non-violence and international cooperation. The UN has designated the 2026 theme as “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”
The ceremony was moderated by Lu Kang, Vice Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The program featured a keynote speech by Peng Qinghua, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress and President of the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament.
Other speakers included Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, and António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The ceremony also featured addresses by Mohamed Bamba Meugatt, President of the National Assembly of Mauritania, Datuk Nur Jazlan bin Tan Sri Mohamed, Deputy President of the Senate of Malaysia, Mariyana Trenkova, former Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, and Guan Zhi’ou, Secretary of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee.
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The gathering came as the international community marks the annual Peace Day amid conflicts and security challenges in several regions. The United Nations describes peace as more than the absence of war, emphasizing safety, dignity, cooperation and collective action to address global challenges.
The International Day of Peace was established by the UN General Assembly in 1981. In 2001, the General Assembly unanimously designated September 21 as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence.
The Wuhan event highlighted the role of dialogue, international cooperation and collective efforts in addressing challenges to global peace and stability, bringing together representatives from China and several other countries for the 2026 commemoration.
With the conclusion of the plenary session, the first day of the conference also came to an end, bringing together participants from around 60 countries.
Following the conference proceedings, the international participants visited the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan, where they explored the region’s rich history and cultural heritage.
