NGO Day in Iran Date in the current year: August 12, 2024

NGO Day was created to commemorate a large-scale joint conference of Iran’s non-governmental organizations and the government of Iran that took place on August 12, 2014. The conference was held to improve the cooperation between NGOs and the Iranian government. Its participants included representatives of some 3,000 NGOs registered in Iran, as well as Iranian president Hassan Rouhani.

Following the successful conference, the delegates suggested that August 12 be celebrated as NGO Day. Their initiative was supported by the president and the Ministry of Interior. Some time later, the observance was officially declared by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.

The main goal of NGO Day is to emphasize the importance of non-governmental organizations, as well as facilitate their development by creating favorable conditions for their activity. There are about 3,000 NGOs in Iran that are active in religion, education, health care, environmental protection, art and culture, employment, well-being of women, children, youth and the elderly, and other areas.