Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-07-05

Holding the United NationsVesak Day Celebrations in Sri Lanka in the year 2017

- It was proposed by Prof. Gunapala Malalasekara at the World Buddhist Congress held in Sri Lanka, in the year 1950, to the effect that the Vesak Day should be celebrated internationally and on a proposal subsequently made by Hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, at the United Nations General Assembly in the year 1999, the tradition of celebrating the Vesak Day internationally was adopted. The United Nations Vesak Day Celebrations were held in Thailand, in the year 2016. Therefore, the joint proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, the Prime Minister, Hon. Ranil Wickremasinghe and Hon. (Dr.) Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, the Minister of Buddhasasana, to hold the United Nations Vesak Day Celebrations and the Conference of the year 2017, on 12th and 13th May 2017, in Sri Lanka and to appoint a Committee to arrange the related activities, was approved by the Cabinet.