Conferences & Declaration summary
Conferences & Declaration summary
2019
The 16th United Nations Day of Vesak
(Socialist Republic of Vietnam)
From May 12 to 15, 2019 (B.E. 2562), the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak celebration was held for the third time in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at Tam Chuc Convention Centre, Ha Nam Province, with participants from 112 countries and territories. This celebration was supported by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.

The celebration focused on the theme
“Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership & Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies,”
with His Excellency Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, delivering the keynote address.

Panel discussions explored five sub-themes:
  • Buddhist Approach to Global Leadership & Shared Responsibilities for Sustainable Societies
This session featured the following panelists:
    • Most Ven. Thich Nhat Tu, Vietnam
    • Prof. Dr. Le Manh That, Vietnam
    • Dr. Peter Van Den Berg, Netherland
    • Mr. Gabor Karsai, Hungary
    • Dr. Amrita Nanda, Chinese Hong Kong
    • Dr. Devin Combs Bowles, Australia
    • G.T. Maurits Kwee, Germany
    • Dr. Leena Seneheweera, Sri Lanka
    • Dr. Robert Szuksztul, Poland
    • Nguyen Ngoc Tien, USA
    • Dr. Meena Charanda, India
    • Dr. Nguyen Thi Que Anh, Vietnam
    • Dr. Manish Prasad Rajak, India
Mindful Leadership for Sustainable Peace
This session featured the following panelists:
    • Most Ven. Dr. Thich Vien Tri, Viet Nam
    • Dr. James Bruce Cresswell, UK
    • Jeff Wilson, Australia
    • Dr. Arpita Mitra, India
    • Dr. José A. Rodríguez Díaz, Spain
    • Dr. Rajni Srivastava, India
    • Thich Hanh Chon, Vietnam
Buddhist Approach to Harmonious Families, Healthcare, and Sustainable Societies
This session featured the following panelists:
    • Dr. John M. Scorsine, USA
    • Prof. Dr. Padmasiri De Silva, Australia
    • Prof. Dr. Pataraporn Sirikanchana, Thailand
    • Prof. Dr. Kyoung-Hee Lee, South Korea
Buddhist Approach to Global Education in Ethics
This session featured the following panelists:
    • Dr. Gábor Kovács, Hugary
    • Prof. Dr. Karam Tej Singh Sarao, India
    • Prof. Dr. Pahalawattage Don Premasiri, Sri Lanka
    • Prof. Dr. Amarjiva Lochan, India
The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Buddhism
This session featured the following panelists:
  • Peter Daniels, Australia
  • Geoffrey Bamford, England
  • David Blundell, USA
  • Alex Amies, USA
More than two hundred academic papers were submitted to the conference by 110 international and 100 Vietnamese scholars.

Concurrently, Thailand also organized a two-day celebration of the United Nations Day of Vesak, along with the World Mindfulness Forum, from May 15 to 16, 2019, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. On this occasion, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua graciously appointed Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali Krom Muen Suddhanarinatha to preside over the Opening Ceremony and deliver the inauguration speech.

The participants from 112 countries and regions gathered in Vietnam unanimously agreed on the Ha Nam Declaration, which outlined key points for Buddhist contributions to sustainable development.

The declaration presents a holistic approach to addressing global issues through Buddhist perspectives, focusing on sustainable development, peace, and human dignity.

The key themes include:
  • Sustainable Development: Resolving to support UN Sustainable Development Goals by advocating for sustainable societies and promoting Buddhist ethical principles.
  • Shared Responsibilities: Emphasizing compassion, collective action, and support across communities, regardless of race, creed, religion, or gender.
  • Societal Transformation: Utilizing Buddhist teachings like the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path to create more harmonious and sustainable societies.
  • Mindful Leadership: Promoting dialogue, non-violence, wisdom, and compassion as key approaches to conflict resolution and peace-building.
  • Social and Personal Development: Addressing family structures, healthcare, education, and personal ethics through Buddhist principles.
  • Education and Ethics: Integrating Buddhist concepts of impermanence, non-self, and ethical education into global learning systems.
  • Technology and Modernization: Embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution by integrating Buddhist practices with technology while maintaining human-centric approaches.
  • Environmental Sustainability: Advocating for responsible consumption, ecological harmony, and sustainable development practices.
  • Global Policy Implications: Calling for world leaders to:
  • Incorporate Buddhist ethical insights into UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Develop more compassionate political and economic systems
  • Encourage moral and ethical virtues across all levels of society
  • Support Buddhist NGOs in disaster relief and social welfare
The declaration ultimately seeks to present Buddhism as a valuable philosophical framework for addressing contemporary global challenges, promoting understanding, compassion, and sustainable development.

Subsequently, Most Ven. Prof. Dr. Phra Brahmapundit, President of the ICDV, together with the executive committee, Sangharajas, Mahanayakas, and Buddhist devotees from around the world, gathered to commemorate the United Nations Day of Vesak at the United Nations Conference Centre and took part in the candlelight procession held at Buddhamonthon in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, on 16 May 2019.