The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws" in 1960.

In 1979, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a program of activities to be undertaken during the second half of the "Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination." On that occasion, the General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination, beginning on 21 March, would be organized annually in all member states.

The 2025 theme of the International Day is “60th anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Racial of Discrimination (ICERD)”.