(VOVworld) – The 69^th UN General Assembly held a ceremony at its headquarters in New York to celebrate International Buddha Day (VESAK).

The UN General Assembly celebrates International Buddha Day (VESAK) at its headquarters in New York. (Photo: UN)

Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, the head of Vietnam’s Mission to the UN, said the Buddha’s noble teachings of peace, harmony, and tolerance were essential for the international community’s development, in regard to resolving complex challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, economic crises, violent extremism, and armed conflicts around the world. She said that Buddhism and other religions developed in harmony in Vietnam, contributing to national development and the people’s spiritual lives, adding that Vietnam’s Buddhist Sangha had been involved in several international events, including hosting the International Buddhist Conference in Vietnam in 2014.