Permanent Mission of Bhutan to the United Nations Permanent Mission of Bhutan to the United Nations
The Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bhutan joined the international community in observing the International Day of Vesak at the General Assembly Hall of UN Headquarters in New York on 1st May 2018. Bhutan is a member of the Organizing Committee led by the Permanent Missions of Sri Lanka and Thailand. The commemoration was attended by the President of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajcak, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, and Buddhist monks, Member States, members of Buddhist communities, and other well wishers.
In her remarks on the occasion, Ambassador Doma Tshering, Permanent Representative of Bhutan to the UN, conveyed the warm greetings of His Majesty the King, and best wishes of the Royal Government and people of Bhutan. Kutshab highlighted the significance of Due Chen Nga Zom in Bhutan, which coincides this year with 29th May 2018. She said that the Buddha’s core messages of peace, non-violence, compassion and tolerance are timeless and lie at the heart of the Charter of the United Nations. The observance of the International Day of Vesak, she said, enriches the spirit of interfaith dialogue at the UN and celebrates the cause of cultural diversity within our human family. The Observance was followed by a reception hosted by the Mission for members of the Bhutanese community participating in the event.
Earlier that day, the Mission also participated in the traditional Dhana, or prayer and merit making ceremony, at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka.
Vesak, the Day of the Full Moon, commemorates the birth, the attainment of enlightment, and the passing of Lord Buddha. The General Assembly by its resolution 54/115 of 1999, cosponsored by Bhutan, recognised internationally the Day of Vesak to acknowledge the contribution that Buddhism, has made for over two and a half millenia and continues to make to the spirituality of humanity.
