On 15 December 1999 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 54/115, entitled 'International recognition of the Day of Vesak at United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations offices'. The proposal to declare Vesak as an international public holiday was tabled at the United Nations General Assembly by Sri Lanka. The resolution internationally recognized the Day of Vesak to acknowledge the contributions that Lord Buddha and Buddhism have made for over two and a half millennia. It also called for annual commemoration of the day at the UN Headquarters, in New York, UNESCO and other UN offices around the world.Mahinda Deegalle. 2018. Vesak, Peace and Harmony: Thinking of Buddhist Heritage. Kandy: Research Centre for Buddhist Studies.
