From May 26 to 29, 2007 (B.E. 2550), the 4th United Nations Day of Vesak celebration convened at two venues: Buddhamonthon in Nakhon Pathom Province and the ESCAP Hall, United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. This prestigious gathering witnessed remarkable growth in inter- national representation, with delegates from sixty-one countries and regions — signifying its expanding global significance. Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University continued its role as the principal host institution, receiving substantial support from the Royal Thai Government and auspicious blessings from the Supreme Sangha Council.

The celebration was graced by the royal presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya, who attended on behalf of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (presently His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua). Her Royal Highness presided over the Opening Ceremony and delivered the inaugural address at Buddhamonthon Auditorium in Nakhon Pathom. His Excellency General Surayud Chulanont, then Prime Minister of Thailand (currently the President of the Privy Council of Thailand), delivered a Special Address at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The participants were further honored by the blessings of the late His Holiness Somdet Phra Phutthachan, President of the Executive Committee for His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, who presided over the Closing Ceremony of this momentous celebration.

“The Buddhist Contribution to Good Governance” served as the central theme of the celebration, chosen to coincide with the auspicious occasion of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 80th birthday. In alignment with this theme, a scholarly panel discussion on “Buddhist Perspectives on Good Governance and Development” was organized, featuring distinguished thought leaders in the field. The celebration was further elevated by the participation of two renowned Buddhist masters as keynote speakers: Venerable Phra Visuddhisamvara Thera (Ajahn Brahmavamso) from Australia and Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh, the internationally acclaimed Vietnamese Buddhist master and peace activist.

A landmark achievement during this celebration was the establishment of the International Association of Buddhist Universities (IABU), founded through the collaborative efforts of Buddhist universities and secular institutions engaged in Buddhist studies. The IABU was conceived as an international platform to facilitate connections between institutions of Buddhist higher education, foster mutual understanding, and enable collective learning from the diverse and rich heritage of the global Buddhist tradition.

Furthermore, the Constitution of the International Council for the Day of Vesak (ICDV) was officially adopted during the celebration.

To disseminate the universal message of peace firmly rooted in the Buddha’s profound teachings of wisdom and compassion, the assembled dignitaries reached unanimous consensus on the following resolutions in the Bangkok Declaration:

• to further enhance cooperation between all schools of Buddhism to strengthen unity and solidarity among Buddhists;
• to acknowledge the generosity of and the crucial role played by the Kingdom of Thailand in hosting the United Nations Day of Vesak in the past four years, and to approve and support the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as the host for 2008;
• to re-affirm Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University as the permanent venue of the International Secretariat for the International Organizing Committee for the United Nations Day of Vesak;
• to promote through Buddhist principles socially engaged actions and urge the Buddhist leaders to take a leading role on moral and ethical issues, in particular, on social justice, respect equal opportunities, good governance and transparency;
• to acknowledge the inspiration that many countries and regions, and in particular, the Buddhist world and the UNDP, have towards His Majesty the King of Thailand on good governance and development throughout His Reign over sixty years;
• to support the 2^nd World Buddhist Forum to be held in China in 2008;
• to continue the electronic Buddhist library project, started initially last year as a partnership between Buddha Dharma Education and BuddhaNet and Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, and to record the strong interest in the project by the many Buddhist Higher Institutions present at this conference;
• to continue the project of compiling an informed work on Buddhism to be freely distributed to hotels worldwide;
• to reiterate the appeal to all parties, the United Nations, UNESCO and concerned governments and agencies to preserve both the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Buddhists, and to encourage visit to Buddhist holy sites as part of their revitalization;
• to record the historic formation at this conference and support the function and growth in every means possible of the International Association of Buddhist Universities (IABU), comprising some eighty Buddhist Higher Education Institutions from twenty-two countries and regions;
• to hold the symposium of the International Association of Buddhist Universities (IABU) which will be hosted by Mahachulalongkorn- rajavidyalaya University in 2008 in Bangkok and to rejoice in the generosity of the same university for undertaking to fund, at least for one year, the International Secretariat of the IABU; and
• to highlight at every level the effective and scientific values of Buddhist meditation in human development, and to encourage both traditional means and modern technology in dissemination of the teaching of the Buddha, and to also raise awareness on the proper and respectful use of Buddha images.