On 13 May 2014, H.E. Mr. Norachit Sinhaseni, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations, presided over the Day of Vesak event held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event was attend by H.E. Mr. John W. Ashe, President of the General Assembly, and H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al Nasser, High Representative for Alliance of Civilizations and representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, together with Permanent Representatives and representatives from 19 other countries who delivered statements on the occasion. In addition, the event was participated by monks and over 400 participants from local Buddhist communities in and around New York.

During the event, H.E. Mr. Norachit Sinhaseni, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations, reiterated the importance of the Day of Vesak as one of the most important days for Buddhism and Buddhists. It is the day that marks the birth, the enlightenment and the passing of Lord Buddha. On this day, Buddhists around the world would gather to commemorate and reflect on the three jewels of Buddhism namely the Lord Buddha, His teachings or Dhamma and the community of monks or the Sangha. This year’s celebration of the Day of Vesk marks the 15th anniversary of the adoption by the 54th Session of the United Nations General Assembly a resolution that recognized Buddhism’s continued contribution to the spirituality of humanity. The event also reflected the inter-faith nature of the celebration as there were participants from both Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

Earlier the same morning, H.E. Mr. Norachit Sinhaseni, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations, also presided over a food offering ceremony held at the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations. The ceremony was attended by monks from various Buddhist communities namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, Japan, Myanmar and Thailand.