On Sunday 19 and Tuesday 21 September the city of The Hague celebrated the United Nations International Day of Peace. The International Day of Peace ("Peace Day") is an opportunity for individuals, organisations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982.

As a part of the event, the Hague-based international organisations opened their doors to the public on The Hague International Day, which on ended Sunday, 19 September in the City Hall. During this event The Hague demonstrated the city's role as the international centre of peace and justice. Six international organisations and more than 20 organisations presented their work at a special International Fair. Organisations present at the International Fair include Europol, NATO, Eurojust and the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), which offered information about their work to promote peace and justice.

The six organisations which opened their doors this year are the: International Court of Justice and Permanent Court of Arbitration (both in the Peace Palace), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), International Criminal Court (ICC), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the European Patent Office (EPO). In particular, these all gave visitors a behind-the-scenes view of how they work, providing guided tours to allow a better understanding of the functioning and aims of these institutions.
On 21 September, the municipality featured a special programme with debates on peace and justice.

www.haguejusticeportal.net