From June 1 to 2, 2023 (B.E. 2566), the 18^th United Nations Day of Vesak celebration was held at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University in Ayutthaya Province, ESCAP Hall at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, and Buddhamonthon in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. The celebration was hosted by Mahachulalongkorn- rajavidyalaya University, overseen by the International Council for the Day of Vesak, with support from the Government of Thailand and blessings from the Supreme Sangha Council. The event drew 1,200 participants from 65 countries and regions.

His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua graciously appointed H.E. General Surayud Chulanont, President of the Privy Council of Thailand, to preside over the Opening Ceremony at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. Somdet Phra Ariyavangsa- gatayana, the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, attended the celebration to deliver the inaugural speech and offer blessings to all participants at Mahachula- longkornrajavidyalaya University.
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Dinesh Gunawardena, delivered a keynote speech on the main theme,
The celebration had the privilege of welcoming numerous esteemed Buddhist dignitaries and leaders, including:

• His Holiness Banasree Mahathero, 29th Sanghanayok Niyaka of Bangladesh, Bangladesh
• H.E. Tsula Lopen Rinpoche Khenchen Karma Rangdol, Vice-Sangharaja, Pedma Acharya of Central Monastic Body of Bhutan, Bhutan
• Most. Ven. Yan Jue, President, Buddhist Association of China, China
• Shri Ramdas Athawale, Minister, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment of India, India
• Most. Ven. Bounsouane Phanthavong, Vice-President, The Central Buddhist Fellowship Organization of Lao PDR
• Most Ven. Dr. Ashin Nyanissara, Chancellor, Sitagu International Buddhist Academy, Myanmar
• Most Ven. Seck Kwang Phing, President, Singapore Buddhist Federation
• Most Ven. Warakagoda Gnanarathana Thero, Mahanayaka Thero of Asgiriya Chapter, Sri Lanka
• Most Ven. Dr. Niyangoda Vijithasiri, Anunayaka Thero of Malwatta Chapter, Sri Lanka
• Hon. Vidhura Wickramanayaka, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Sri Lanka
• Hon. Pradeep Nilanga Dele Bandara, Lay Custodian of the Tooth Relic Temple, Sri Lanka
• Most Ven. Thich Vien Minh, Vice Supreme Patriarch, Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vietnam
• Most Ven. Thich Thien Tam, Vice President of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vietnam
• Most Ven. Dao Nhu, Vice President of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vietnam

The panel discussions were divided into three sub-themes: On this occasion, the Tipitaka English Version Project was organized for the second time, bringing together Thai and foreign translators and editors at Wat Prayurawongsawas in Bangkok and via online platform.

The participants from 65 countries and territories unanimously resolved on the Bangkok Declaration as follows:

• Being mindful of the multifaceted nature of conflicts in the world: the role of society; the interplay of social responsibility; and economic development, to urge the governments in the world to consider pragmatic approach and promote awareness of interdependence to help bring an end to the social and political conflicts in the world. Especially, the Buddhists of the world seek to promote peace and reconciliation throughout the world by the skillful application of Buddhist teachings of forgiveness, non-violence, compassion and tolerance; and, to work tirelessly against the human tendency towards unbridled desire, hatred and ignorance, in order to establish a society which embraces the positive values of humankind;
• To promote mental, individual-based peace, by disseminating Buddhist mindfulness meditation practice globally, and be a direct and actionable medicine, open to all;
• To remain optimistic in the idea that the problems of the world seem so intractable, not because they fundamentally are, but because we look for the wrong kind of solution. Buddhism looks past a fixed Utopian end-goal and, instead, steers us in the direction of practical, dynamic solutions, that are grounded in an understanding of the nature of impermanence and change;
• To resolve to double the efforts to promote World Peace through raising the awareness of the limitations of our interdependent existence; understanding the origins of violence, and the sensibilities around identities;
• To foster the values of appreciation and respect toward other religious and spiritual traditions, as a necessary step toward social harmony and developing the necessary conditions for a communal living where unity does not exclude difference, and where difference does not exclude understanding and respect;
• To recognize the profound pain that armed conflicts and the Covid-19 crisis have caused in the entire world, both physically and psychologically, and to encourage Buddhists from all quarters to take actions in spreading the life-transforming teachings of the Buddha in our path to recovery, countering scarcity with compassion, and social unrest with understanding;
• To promote respect for all forms of sentient life including animals and plants, whose life is interconnected with humanity in deeper, and more directly entwined, ways than we have conceived in the past;
• To promote a collective awakened response to the ecological crisis and climate degradation through the teaching of non-violence (ahimsa) and compassion, combining traditional wisdom and technology in carbon reduction;
• Being mindful of the uncertainty of life during the pandemic, to practically emphasize the interdependent nature between spiritual care and humanitarian material needs, as well as the economic mechanisms in our post-Covid world; and
• To express our highest esteem for the Royal Thai Tipiṭaka Translation Project, a translation of the Pali Tipiṭaka into English, initiated by the Supreme Sangha Council of Thailand and generously sponsored by the Royal Government of Thailand commemorating the Coronation of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua.