The first national Bahá'í conference was held in America. [BFA2:XVI; BW10:179]
• At the invitation of the House of Spirituality of Chicago, nine Bahá'ís from various communities joined some ten from the Chicago area at a one-day conference to foster national cooperation on the Temple project and to choose a suitable site for the Temple. [BFA2:280; CT78; GPB262, 349]
• M. Momen posits that this was probably the first Bahá'í convention. [BAHAISM xi. Bahai Conventions]

The first Oceanic Conference took place in Palermo, Sicily, to commemorate the arrival of Bahá'u'lláh in the Holy Land. [BW15:73, 178; VV3]
• It was attended by some 2,300 Bahá'ís from 67 countries. [BW15:73]
• For details of the conference, maps and pictures see BW15:72–80.
• See the message sent to the conference from the Universal House of Justice in which it was stated:
  Contemplating this awe-inspiring, supernal episode, we may obtain a clearer understanding of our own times, a more confident view of their outcome and a deeper apprehension of the part we are called upon to play. That the violent disruption which has seized the entire planet is beyond the ability of men to assuage, unaided by God's revelation, is a truth repeatedly and forcibly set forth in our Writings. The old order cannot be repaired; it is being rolled up before our eyes. The moral decay and disorder convulsing human society must run their course; we can neither arrest nor divert them.

Eight Oceanic and Continental Conferences were held. BW15:296–323]
• For many pictures see BW15:296–316.

The Oceanic Conference of the Indian Ocean was held in Rose Hill, Mauritius. [BW15:317; VV5]
• For pictures see BW15:299–301.
• For an account of the experience of attending from the point of view of Claire Gung, the "Mother of Africa", see CG84-85.

The Continental Conference was held in La Paz, Bolivia. [BW15:317; VV5]
• For pictures see BW15:301–2.

One of the goals of the Canadian Bahá'í Community was to prepare its "daughter" community, Iceland, to achieve National Assembly status by Ridván 1972 with incorporation by 1973. To facilitate these goals the National Spiritual Assembly assigned Douglas and Elizabeth Martin to the project with Elizabeth as the principal executive. The opening phase of the proclamation was launched at a Victory Conference which resulted in the enrollment of thirty people in January 1971 thus doubling the numbers in Iceland.
• In January/February 1971 Continental Board of Counsellor Betty Reed visited and there were 130 declarations and of these, eight were adults. [BN No 487 October 1971 p20]
• In addition six Icelandic believers, three of them youth, were invited to attend the Canadian National Convention in Halifax at Ridván. They were: Gudmundur Bardarson, Anna Maggy Palsdottir, Baldur B. Bragason, Margret Bardardottir, Svana Einarsdottir, and Janina Njalsdottir. [BN485 6 August, 1971 pg 6]
• The Icelandic community organized a team to undertake a summer teaching project in the Faroes Islands in cooperation with the UK Bahá'ís. [BW15335-336]
• Three additional local assemblies were formed in Iceland in August 1971 and they were in Keflavik, Hafnarfjordur and Kopavogur. [HNWE26; BN485 6 August, 1971 pg 6]

The Oceanic Conference of the South China Seas was held in the Victoria Memorial Hall in Singapore. [BW15:319; VV5]
• For pictures see BW15:302–3 and VV6.

The Continental Conference of Africa was held in Monrovia, Liberia. [BW15:318; VV5]
• For pictures see BW15:304–5.

The Oceanic Conference of the Caribbean was held in Kingston, Jamaica. [BW15:218, 319–20; VV5–6]
• For pictures see BW15:304–8 and VV6.

The Oceanic Conference of the South Pacific was held in Suva, Fiji, BW15:320–1; VV6.
• For pictures see BW15:308–9.

The Oceanic Conference of the North Pacific was held in Sapporo, Japan. [BW15:321–2; VV6]
• For pictures see BW15:312–14 and VV5.

The Oceanic Conference of the North Atlantic was held in Reykjavik, Iceland attended by some 800 people from 36 countries. [BW15:322–3; VV6; BN 488 November 1971 p24]
• For pictures see BW15:309–12.
• During the conference three believers from Canada-Florence Springgay, an Inuit; Hugette James, a French Canadian; Mary Ann Crow, from the Blackfoot First Nations flew to Greenland during the Conference to proclaim the Cause, and returned to report the results of their efforts. [BW20p310]

Two* Bahá'í women represented the Bahá'í International Community at the first World Conference on Women in Mexico City. It was the first international conference held by the United Nations to focus solely on women's issues and marked a turning point in policy directives. Nine Bahá'ís represented the Bahá'í International Community at the parallel NGO Tribune. Those attending were: Dorothy Nelson*; Jane Faily, Sheila Banání, Edris Rice-Wray, Carmen Burafato, Catherine Mboya, Shirin Fozdar*, Jyoti Munsiff, Elsie Austin and Shomais Afnán.
• The purpose of the Conference was to give shape to a Ten-Year Plan of Action to promote equality between men and women in member nations by stressing better education and increased participation of women in decision-making in order to bring the neglected resources of women into the struggle for development and peace. [CBN No 287 Aug/Sep 1975 p16; Wikipedia; United Nations - Conferences]
• The Bahá'í International Community issued a statement entitled International Women's Year.
• See UN Women.

The Ridván Message contained the phrase, "EVIDENCES GATHERING CLOUDS WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION" and the Universal House of Justice called together all the 'high ranking officers' and 'senior administrative bodies' of the Faith in North America for special consultation on the future protection of the Cause" to be held in Wilmette. It was attended by the three Hands of the Cause for North America, Mr Sears, Mr Robarts and Mr Zikrullah Khadem; the four members of the Board of Counsellors, Velma Sherrill, Lloyd Gardner, Sarah Periera, and Edna True; all the members of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Alaska, Canada and the United States as well as representative of the National Assembly of Hawaii; all of the Auxiliary Board members in North America and special guest, Counsellor 'Azíz Yazdí of the International Teaching Centre.
• Although the primary reason for gathering was to discuss the issue of the protection of the Faith there were opportunities for members of the three National Spiritual Assemblies and the Auxiliary Boards to share teaching ideas and to learn of the goals achieved in other areas. [BN Vol 52 No 8 August, 1975 p13-14, CBN Issue 287 Aug/Sept 1975 p1-4]

The First Latin American Bahá'í Women's Conference was held in Brasilia at the Convention Centre.
• Leonera Armstrong, on her deathbed in Salvador, Bahia at the time, addressed the conference via a message recorded on cassette tape.
  Woman, light of the future generation - when we, the women of the world, reflect on the true meaning of this theme that was chosen and as its full meaning penetrates more and more deeply into the conscience of each woman, we must understand that affectionate, that supreme privilege is ours and that inescapable duty is ours, and so we must rise as never before, to fulfill our first obligation. Women know that they are the first educators of humanity ...
  [Biographical Profile]

The European European Board of Counsellors sponsored a Bahá'í Youth Conference in Innsbruck. Amatu'l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum was a special guest. It was attended by about 1,500 from some 40 countries. [BW19p173]
• See the letter from the Universal House of Justice addressed to the Conference.

Hand of the Cause Dr 'Alí-Muhammad Varqá convened a conference for the Deputies of the Huqúqu'lláh at Landegg Academy. [VV125]
• Photo.

The General Assembly Millennium Summit was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and was attended by leaders of more than 150 nations. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented a report entitled, "We The Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century". In which was presented an overview of the challenges facing humankind and suggested practical solutions. Some of the key themes addressed include health, environment, human rights and other social issues, international law, peace and rejuvenating the United Nations. It is striking that called upon by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to address so historic a gathering was Mr. Techeste Ahderom, the principal representative of the Bahá'í International Community to the United Nations, addressed the gathering as the spokesman of civil society. He was accorded this honour because he had presided as cochair at the earlier United Nations Millennium Forum. After all the national leaders had spoken and before the Summit had adopted its declaration on 8 September, Mr. Ahderom made a speech in which he conveyed to that unprecedented assemblage a report of the Forum. The text of his speech is enclosed herewith. On the last day a declaration was unanimously adopted that began by asserting: "We, Heads of State and Government, have gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 6 to 8 September 2000, at the dawn of a new Millennium, to reaffirm our faith in the Organization and its Charter as indispensable foundations of a more peaceful, prosperous and just world." [BW00-01p91-93, Letter from the Universal House of Justice dated 24 September 2000]
• The text of Mr. Ahderom's speech can be found on the BIC's website and at BW00-01p243-247.
• Millennium Declaration (in all UN working languages)
• The Millennium Development Goals are to: (1) eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; (2) achieve universal primary education; (3) promote gender equality and empower women; (4) reduce child mortality; (5) improve maternal health; (6) combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; (7) ensure environmental sustainability; and (8) develop a global partnership for development.
• UN website.

The "Growth and Victories" conference was held Otavalo, Ecuador in honour of the Hand of the Cause of God Rahmatu'llah Muhajir who passed away in Quito. (1923-79). Bahá'ís attending the conference came from a range of South American countries as well as from Australia, Canada, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Among those attending were his daughter, Gisu Mahajir Cook who spoke about the life of her father.
• A member of the Continental Board of Counsellors, Eloy Anello of Bolivia, spoke on the topic "The Life of Dr. Muhajir". [BWNS353; BW33p98 ]

The 2005 World Summit was a follow-up summit meeting to the United Nations' 2000 Millennium Summit, which led to the Millennium Declaration of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Representatives (including many leaders) of the then 191 (later 193) member states met in New York City for what the United Nations described as "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take bold decisions in the areas of development, security, human rights and reform of the United Nations." [THE 2005 WORLD SUMMIT: AN OVERVIEW]
• 2005 World Summit Outcome
• Millennium Development Goals
  1. To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
  2. To achieve universal primary education
  3. To promote gender equality and empower women
  4. To reduce child mortality
  5. To improve maternal health
  6. To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
  7. To ensure environmental sustainability
  8. To develop a global partnership for development

The first World Humanitarian Summit was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The summit, organized by the United Nations, called on government leaders as well as those from business, aid agencies, civil society and faith-based organizations to consult on the question of disaster relief.
• A statement released by the Bahá'í International Community for the occasion, titled "Rising Together: Building the Capacity to Recover from Within" is available at their website.

About 8,000 people attended the European Development Days conference in Brussels. It was co-organized by World Vision International, ACT Alliance, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Brot für die Welt, EU-CORD Network, and the Bahá'í International Community. The Bahá'í International Community moderated one of the EDD panel discussions called What's religion got to do with it?
• The panel discussion can be heard on SoundCloud.

In a letter dated 25 November 2020 the Universal House of Justice announced a Nine Year Plan to begin at Ridván 2022. In the letter to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors dated 30 December 2021 the details were announced.

Objectives:

• establish programs of growth in all cluster in the world (22,000) 14,000 at some level and 11,000 intensive, with 5,000 past the third milestone.
• establish at least on Milestone Three cluster in every country and every region of the world. This "constitutes on of the Plan's chief objectives"
• deployment of teams of international and homefront pioneers.
• enrollments "wide open" involvement of families and households as larger groups embrace the pattern of Bahá'í life.
• expanding nucleus
• coordination of large numbers as more communities enter the 3rd milestone
• maturation of Bahá'í institutions
• in areas where activities reach high degree of prevalence the inhabitants now possess a substantially increased capacity to steer the course of their own development, and the institutions and agencies of the Faith there now have an expanded vision of their responsibilities.
• more efforts to support social and economic development
• participation in the discourses of society as a means of releasing what the Guardian described as "the society-building power" of the Faith.
• It will be heralded by the convocation of a series of conferences held over a span of months across the globe. [25 November 2020]
  • This goal has been achieved. About 10,000 conferences were held worldwide. [BWNS1601; BWNS1601; BWNS1593; BWNS1592; BSNS1590]

See the conference recommendations and actions.

The Bahá'í International Community released a statement, One Planet, One Habitation: A Bahá'í Perspective on Recasting Humanity's Relationship with the Natural World. The statement underlines the gap between intention and action as one of the central challenges facing humanity and states that the essential principle of humanity's oneness as the only foundation on which sustainable societies can be raised. [BWNS1599]

The statement is available on the BIC statements page and at Bahá'í Library.

Maritime Summer Conference was held during the Labour Day weekend at Little Sands on Prince Edward Island. Bahá'ís from three of the Atlantic Provinces attended-with a total of 18 adults and one youth.
• Peggy Ross of Scarboro gave a course on "The Reality of Man".
• The Charlottetown friends presented the play written by Ruhiyyih Khanum, A Spiritual Assembly's Growing Pains. This play included a scene from a real incident which took place in early Montreal Bahá'í history between Ruhiyyih Khanum and Charlottetown Bahá'í Ernest Harrison. [CBN No 45 October 1953 p4]

One of the goals of the Canadian Bahá'í Community was to prepare its "daughter" community, Iceland, to achieve National Assembly status by Ridván 1972 with incorporation by 1973. To facilitate these goals the National Spiritual Assembly assigned Douglas and Elizabeth Martin to the project with Elizabeth as the principal executive. The opening phase of proclamation was launched at a Victory Conference which resulted in the enrollment of thirty people in January, 1971 thus doubling the numbers in Iceland.
• In addition six Icelandic believers, three of them youth, were invited to attend the Canadian National Convention in Halifax at Ridván. They were: Gudmundur Bardarson, Anna Maggy Palsdottir, Baldur B. Bragason, Margret Bardardottir, Svana Einarsdottir, and Janina Njalsdottir. [BN485 6 August, 1971 pg 6]
• The Icelandic community organized a team to undertake a summer teaching project in the Faroes Islands in cooperation with the UK Bahá'ís. [BW15335-336]
• Three additional local assemblies were formed in Iceland in August 1971 and they were in Keflavik, Hafnarfjordur and Kopavogur. [HNWE26]

The Ridván Message contained the phrase, "EVIDENCES GATHERING CLOUDS WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION" and the Universal House of Justice called together all the 'high ranking officers' and 'senior administrative bodies' of the Faith in North America for special consultation on the future protection of the Cause" to be held in Wilmette. It was attended by the three Hands of the Cause for North America, Mr Sears, Mr Robarts and Mr Zikrullah Khadem; the four members of the Board of Counsellors, Velma Sherrill, Lloyd Gardner, Sarah Periera, and Edna True; all the members of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Alaska, Canada and the United States as well as representative of the National Assembly of Hawaii; all of the Auxiliary Board Members in North America and special guest, Counsellor 'Azíz Yazdí of the International Teaching Centre.
• Although the primary reason for gathering was to discuss the issue of the protection of the Faith there were opportunities for members of the three National Spiritual Assemblies and the Auxiliary Boards to share teaching ideas and to hear of the goals achieved in other areas. [BN Vol 52 No 8 August, 1975 p13-14, CBN Issue 287 Aug/Sept 1975 p1-4]