December 21 will be International Meditation Day, the UN declares

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United Nations – December 21 was adopted as the International Meditation Day by the United Nations General Assembly at its 79^th session on December 6, 2024.

The draft resolution, entitled Global Health and Foreign Policy.   was proposed jointly by the core group countries, India, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mexico and Andorra, including support from 60 co-sponsors.

Introducing the draft resolution to the General Assembly in her statement, Myriam Oehri, Counselor, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Principality of Liechtenstein, said that the intention behind the resolution was to raise awareness about meditation worldwide. Oehri also said it will provide an important anchor in the UN calendar each year to be commemorated by the UN, its  communities and individuals, Oehri said.

“But even more so, it serves a foundation to further promote and better understand the practice and benefits of meditation for the health and well being of people around the world and possibly as a regular practice throughout the year,” she said.

The ancient contemplative practice of meditation was rooted in yogic and spiritual traditions, and benefits individual well-being and overall health by focusing the mind and improving awareness, clarity, balance and calmness, Oehri said.

Practiced widely in the world, meditation was part of the UN’s regular proceedings. Oehri pointed out that the UN General Assembly dedicates one minute of silence for prayer or meditation at its first and final plenary meeting of each session.

Referring to A Room of Quiet, the meditation room at the UN headquarters in New York, which was renovated and reopened in 1957, Oehri quoted Doug Hammarskjold, the second Secretary General, “This house, dedicated to work in the service of peace, should have one room dedicated to silence in the outward sense and stillness in the inner sense.”

Making a case for mediation, Oehri pointed out the importance of protecting mental health which is a human right mentioned in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and a means to combat the rising threat from WMD, the weapon of mass destruction.

“With World meditation day, we offer an alternative perspective and effective approach to experience, peace, happiness, freedom, compassion and unity,” Oehri said.

Uplifting consciousness through meditation was the only hope for survival of the earth and its people in times of armed conflict, climate crisis, rapid technological advancement and artificial intelligence, she added.

Oehri concluded her statement quoting Sri Prabhavananda Saraswati, a medical doctor and spiritual teacher, who had said world peace can be established only when we turn inward through meditation and experience unity and peace within.

The resolution was unanimously adopted by the GA, gaining support from 40 more countries added to the original 60 sponsors.

“Today history was created,” wrote Oehri on X afterwards. P. Harish, Permanent Representative of India to the UN said he was glad India was part of the core group of countries proposing the resolution.

“India’s leadership in overall human wellbeing stems from our civilizational dictum of #VasudhaivaKutumbakam – the whole world is one family,” said Harish, in his post on X.

The UN states that it establishes International days to use as advocacy tools. It designates days, weeks and years and decades as occasions to promote its objectives through awareness.

International days aim to educate people about issues of concern, and to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems.

Awareness raising actions are generally undertaken by the UN system, its organizations and offices, governments, civil society, the public and private sectors, schools, universities and citizens.