Wednesday Dec 25, 2024
Wednesday Dec 25, 2024
Wednesday, 25 December 2024 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
In commemoration of the historic adoption of the United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring 21 December as “World Meditation Day”, the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in New York hosted the first celebratory event of the core group of countries on 20 December, to mark the global significance of the practice of Meditation.
This event, entitled “Meditation – its universality and relevance in the 21st Century” focused on underlining the relevance and benefits of meditation for modern living with a keynote address by Dr. Tony Nader, a medical doctor trained at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a globally recognised meditation expert. During his address, Dr. Nader highlighted the benefits of practicing meditation and the scientific studies done on the subject. “Meditation is not a luxury; it is a necessity,” he mentioned, highlighting the benefits of meditation to modern life.
Representing the main sponsors of the resolution, Charge d’ Affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Sugeeshwara Gunaratna delivered the welcome remarks recalling the process of consultations that culminated in the adoption of the resolution. This was followed by a video message from the High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and remarks by the representatives of Andorra, Nepal, Mexico and India. The event was moderated by Deputy Permanent Representative and Charge d’ Affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein Myriam Oehri.
The draft resolution L.27 entitled “World Meditation Day” was presented to the United Nations General Assembly by the core group of six countries comprising Sri Lanka, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Mexico, Nepal and India and was adopted on 6 December 2024. The resolution recognised meditation’s contribution to health and well-being and its universality. 71 States from all geographical regions and cultural backgrounds co-sponsored the resolution, which was adopted by consensus.
Sri Lanka played a key role in facilitation of the negotiations leading to the adoption of the resolution.
