On 20 July 2024 the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) will issue six postage stamps and three souvenir sheets to commemorate International Moon Day. The stamps feature various pictures from lunar missions.
In its resolution on “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space” in 2021, the United Nations General Assembly declared International Moon Day, to be observed annually on 20 July.
This day was chosen to honour the anniversary of the first landing by humans on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission and to raise public awareness about the commitment to sustainable lunar exploration on the part of national and international space programmes.
Following the birth of space exploration nearly 70 years ago, the Moon quickly became the ultimate destination for countless scientific missions, including crewed flights that brought the first human footprints to another place in the universe. Many national space agencies and corporate entities have ambitious plans to reach and explore the Moon.
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space, and in the utilization of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
A statement by Ms. Aarti Holla-Maini, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, UNOOSA appears on the souvenir sheets:
“Today’s moon exploration is wreathed with ambitious plans, but the expansion of our so-far pristine horizons must take place sustainably. The United Nations will leverage its unique convening power to foster the necessary dialogue on the way forward.”
