GENERAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEM CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR BUDDHISTS" SACRED DAY

Press Release
GA/9667

GENERAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEM CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR BUDDHISTS’ SACRED DAY

The General Committee this morning recommended that the General Assembly include an item on international recognition of the Day of Vesak –- the day in the year most sacred to Buddhists -- in the agenda of its fifty-fourth session and that the item be considered directly in plenary.

By the terms of a draft resolution on the item, contained in document A/54/235, the General Assembly would resolve that appropriate arrangements would be made at United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations Offices for international observance of Vesak, the day of the full Moon each May, on which Buddhists commemorate the birth of the Buddha, his attainment of enlightenment and his passing away. International recognition of the Holy Day would constitute acknowledgement of the contribution that Buddhism has made for more than two-and-a-half millennia, and continues to make to the spirituality of humanity.

The request for inclusion of the item was made in a letter to the President of the Assembly from the Permanent Representatives of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Ukraine, also contained in document A/54/235, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum.

Introducing the item this morning, the representative of Sri Lanka said that the philosophy of Buddhism lay at the heart of the United Nations message. Arrangements to include the Day of Vesak on the Assembly’s agenda should not entail any financial or administrative obligations for the Organization.

The representatives of India, Spain, Bangladesh, Thailand, Pakistan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Bhutan spoke in support of inclusion of the item, saying that the Buddha had exercised a profound influence on human civilization and his teachings and example had provided the ethical and moral underpinnings of many societies. His teachings were based on the law of release from suffering, leading to spiritual enlightenment, as well as abjuration of force, violence and persecution.

It was only right that the United Nations, as a special forum that brought together different civilizations, granted Buddhism the same recognition as other world religions.

General Committee - 2 - Press Release GA/9667 4th Meeting (AM) 24 November 1999

Also speaking this morning, the representative of Cyprus said that the item’s inclusion would promote dialogue among civilizations and his country would also sponsor the draft when it came before the plenary.

The General Assembly will consider the General Committee’s report on the action taken today at a date to be announced.

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