The meeting taking place at Vietnam Buddhist Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, the planned venue for the 2025 United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak, included Vice Chairwoman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Trần Thị Minh Nga, representatives of concerning central and Ho Chi Minh Municipal city authorities, members of the ICDV from various countries, and high-ranking dignitaries of the VBS’s Central Executive Council.

Since the United Nations General Assembly officially issued the Resolution on Vesak on December 15, 1999, to date, the Day of Vesak has been celebrated 24 times, with 15 hosted in Thailand, once in Sri Lanka, and three in Vietnam.

Previous Vesak celebrations in Vietnam were held in Hanoi in 2008, Ninh Binh in 2014, and Ha Nam in 2019. Through three successful hosting's of United Nation Day of Vesak, Vietnam has gained supports from the ICDV and international Buddhist communities. With the approval of the ICDV, Vietnam will host the 24^th United Nations Day of Vesak in 2025, scheduled to take place at the Vietnam Buddhist Institute in Ho Chi Minh City in May, 2025.

The first meeting of the ICDV and the VBS was held on September 27-28 to discuss preparations and important contents for the UN Day of Vesak 2025.

Deputy Minister Vũ Chiến Thăng speaks at the meeting

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vũ Chiến Thắng highlighted that the UN Day of Vesak Celebrations is a cultural and humanistic festival of the United Nations International Organizing Committee, and Vietnam has successfully hosted the UN Day of Vesak three times, in Hanoi in 2008, Ninh Binh province in 2014 and Ha Nam in 2019. These events have highly been appreciated by the United Nation and international Buddhist communities, he added.   

At the meeting, the Deputy Minister had exchanges with the ICDV, the VBS and the Organizing Committee for the UN Day of Vesak in Vietnam on the organizational project and the overall program on the UN Day of Vesak 2025, as well as coordination between relevant ministries and agencies in preparing for the UN Day of Vesak.

He expressed hope that the VBS and the Organization Committee for the UN Day of Vesak in Vietnam would continue successfully host this great Buddhist festival.

Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit speaks at the meeting

At the meeting, on behalf of the ICDV, Most Venerable Phra Brahmapundit President of the ICDV spoke highly of preparation works for the UN Day of vesak 2025 in Vietnam. He believed that with supports from the Vietnamese government, the cooperation between the ICDV and the VBS, Vietnam would continue successfully hosting the UN Day of Vesak 2025.

He noted that, to ensure the successful organization of the Vesak celebrations, the ICDV was established in 2013 and promoted four main missions: sustainable development, climate change, education, and peacebuilding. The theme of the UN Day of Vesak 2025 will continue the themes of previous Vesak celebrations, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. 

Most Venerable Thích Thiện Nhơn speaks at the event.

For his part, Most Venerable Thích Thiện Nhơn, Deputy Supreme Patriarch of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and President of the VBS’s Central Executive Council cum Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the UN Day of Vesak 2025 in Vietnam emphasized that the UN Buddhist event in 2025 would become another valuable opportunity for the world Buddhist community to better understand each other and share benefits from Buddhist values, traditions and spiritual ideals.

Anh Khôi