Disarmament Week 2026 Runs Oct. 24 to 30: What It Is and Where It Comes From

Disarmament Week runs from Oct. 24 to Oct. 30 every year, and in 2026 it starts on Saturday, Oct. 24. The first day is the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN), known as UN Day. The week ends on Friday, Oct. 30.

Where the week comes from

According to the United Nations, Disarmament Week was first called for in the Final Document of the General Assembly’s 1978 special session on disarmament, adopted as resolution S-10/2.

In 1995 the General Assembly invited governments and non-governmental organizations to take part in the week. That invitation is in resolution 50/72 B, dated Dec. 12, 1995.

Dates in 2026

Date	Day
Sat., Oct. 24	Disarmament Week begins (UN Day)
Fri., Oct. 30	Disarmament Week ends

How the dates work

The week is tied to the calendar, not to a weekday. It always covers seven days. In 2026 that runs from a Saturday to a Friday. In 2027 the same dates run from Sunday, Oct. 24, to Saturday, Oct. 30.

The link to UN Day

Oct. 24 is the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN), and the UN calls that date UN Day. Disarmament Week opens on that day. The start of the week therefore follows the organization’s founding.

The two resolutions

Two General Assembly documents are cited by the UN for the week. The first, resolution S-10/2, is the Final Document of the 1978 special session on disarmament, where the week was first called for. The second, resolution 50/72 B of Dec. 12, 1995, invited governments and non-governmental organizations to take part. We have not listed events or themes for 2026, because we are reporting only what the UN’s observance page confirms.

For the other observances in the month, see our October 2026 holidays and observances story. You can mark the week on the October printable calendar or a printable weekly planner.