"The United Nations General Assembly formally approved a resolution declaring the year 2022 "The International Year of Glass". This is a seminal and celebratory moment for the global glass community. It is noteworthy that this is the first time that United Nations has accorded such a recognition to a specific material and represents an acknowledgment of the vital role glass has played and will continue to play in the advancement of human society. The UN resolution was the culmination of enormous efforts of many individuals and organizations from all over the world under the leadership of the International Glass Commission (ICG) president, Alicia Duran. The vision for the International Year of Glass originated with L. David Pye (ICG president, 1997-2000) in 2018. Under the chief editorship of Pye, the International Journal of Applied Glass Science published special issues on the themes of "Glass and Light" (to mark the 2015 UN International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies), and "Glass Age". This was followed by a series of presentations at several international forums during 2016-2018 by the then ICG President Manoj K. Choudhary and David Pye and to promote and rally support for the theme of "Glass Age". This paper provides background information on the UN resolution and discusses the scientific, technological, and economic significance of glass, a vitally important material for meeting the challenges of climate change and developing equitable and sustainable society. Also highlighted is the role glass has played in arts and advancing human civilization throughout the history and concludes with an outline of various events planned around the world to celebrate the year 2022 as the International Year of Glass Introduction In this paper we describe the rationale, the history, and the massive international effort undertaken to have the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) approve the resolution to declare the year 2022 as the "International Year of Glass". We also describe the goals and the plans for celebration of all things glass in 2022. Since 1959 the United Nations has declared several International Years to focus on particular topics, themes, or events"-- Provided by publisher.