Over the past 60 years, the General Assembly of the United Nations has recognised important global initiatives and their contributions to society, with declarations of United Nations International Years. Against this background, an international groundswell has developed to pursue a United Nations International Year of Glass for 2022 that will underline the technological, scientific and economic importance of glass. With its unparalleled versatility and technical capabilities, glass has fostered numerous cultural and scientific advancements in communications, optics, energy and medicine.

The concept of a United Nations International Year of Glass was first introduced at the 2018 annual meeting of the ICG in Yokohama, Japan. Encouragement received at this meeting gave rise to renewed effort to secure a United Nations International Year of Glass for 2022. This would coincide with ICG’s International Congress on Glass in Berlin, Germany during the 100th anniversary of the German Society of Glass Technology.

Extensive planning is now underway on an international level to make possible a UN Year of Glass. Part of this planning process is to reach out to both art and scientific glass-themed societies and museums and share this concept with them. Formal endorsements will be requested to permit arriving to a successful resolution at the UN General Assembly in July 2020.