The prime purpose of the International Day of Charity is to raise awareness and provide a common platform for charity related activities all over the world for individuals, charitable, philanthropic and volunteer organizations for their own purposes on the local, national, regional and international level.

The reason the date was chosen is because it is the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. This choice commemorates the tireless work that Mother Teresa did by devoting her whole life to charity work. To celebrate this special day every year, the work of different charities all over the word is publicized and celebrated, and people are encouraged to donate money and time, to carry out charitable works, and also to educate people and raise awareness about the many charitable issues worldwide. Education and giving are the essence of this special day.

In its resolution, the General Assembly invited Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, stakeholders, as well as NGOs of the civil society, to commemorate the International Day of Charity in an appropriate manner, by encouraging charity, including through education and public awareness-raising activities.

Sustainable Development Goals and Charity

The UN recognizes that in terms of development, governments cannot act alone and that civic engagement — through volunteering & philanthropy — plays an important role in creating the desired global change.

Here are a few ways that civic engagement can benefit participants and contribute to global sustainable development:

Raise awareness about how difficult challenges are, and push for collective action in global issues.

Enhance trust among diverse groups & build social capital.

Eliminate societal & cultural barriers and create cohesion.

Build resilience through community action, and enhance the sense of responsibility for one's community.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth in the Agenda can be grouped into six critical areas: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. They have the potential to transform our lives and our planet by providing the framework needed for philanthropic institutions to enable all people to contribute to the betterment of our world.

The world's 10 most generous countries

In the last month, eight in 10 Iraqis have helped someone they don't know, with Libyans helping almost as many.

During the same period, 91% of those in Myanmar have given money to charity.

In comparison, 63% of Americans - the second most generous overall - have donated money, with 73% helping a stranger.

The annual ranking places Myanmar, previously known as Burma, at the top of the list for the third year in a row, with more than half the population donating time and 63% helping a stranger.

The overall table, which takes into account financial donations, help offered to strangers and volunteering, ranks the UK as the most generous place in Europe, the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, Kenya in Africa and Guatemala in Latin America.