The United Nations Day of Vesak 2025 is scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City from May 6 to 8, drawing around 2,700 domestic and international delegates. One of the event’s highlights will be the “Ho Chi Minh City Declaration,” alongside a series of meaningful cultural and spiritual activities.

At a recent meeting with the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Religious Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh emphasized: “The UN Day of Vesak 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City is a major international cultural and spiritual event with significant global influence.”

Deputy PM Chinh instructed the Ministry and relevant agencies to closely coordinate with the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to ensure the event is thoroughly prepared. Once finalized, the proposal will be submitted to the Government, which will assign ministries and sectors to support the event according to their mandates.

According to Mr. Vu Hoai Bac, Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, Vietnam has hosted the UN Day of Vesak three times: in 2008 (My Dinh National Convention Center, Hanoi), 2014 (Bai Dinh Pagoda, Ninh Binh), and 2019 (Tam Chuc Pagoda, Ha Nam).

The 2025 edition, organized by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, will be held in Ho Chi Minh City under the theme: “Solidarity and Tolerance for Human Dignity: Buddhist Wisdom for World Peace and Sustainable Development.”

To date, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has revised its proposal for Vesak 2025 four times. The latest version, Proposal No. 85 (dated March 25), was developed after the Government’s interagency working group tasked the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs with leading preparatory coordination with relevant ministries and Ho Chi Minh City authorities.

A key feature of the event will be the “Ho Chi Minh City Declaration”, reflecting Vietnam’s political stance on religion and belief.

Numerous notable cultural activities are scheduled, including the enshrinement of the Indian Buddha relics (recognized as India’s national treasure) at four venues: Thanh Tam Pagoda (HCMC), Ba Den Mountain (Tay Ninh), Quan Su Pagoda (Hanoi), and Tam Chuc Pagoda (Ha Nam); as well as the enshrinement of the heart relic of Bodhisattva Thich Quang Duc at Vietnam Quoc Tu (HCMC).

Other highlights include a candlelight vigil for world peace at Ba Den Mountain, the ceremonial planting of 108 bodhi trees, and an international cultural gala at the Sala Theatre in the Dai Quang Minh urban area (HCMC).

Spiritual leaders from Vietnam and across the globe will also visit a center caring for the elderly, children with disabilities, and disadvantaged individuals at 38 Tu Xuong Street, Ho Chi Minh City.

Since late 2024, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs has advised Deputy PM Nguyen Hoa Binh and participated in interagency meetings to support the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and Ho Chi Minh City in preparation for Vesak.

“We are continuing to closely coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities - especially Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, and Tay Ninh - to implement necessary components such as security, food safety, and volunteer mobilization,” said Mr. Bac.

So far, the organizing committee has received 725 academic papers for presentation during Vesak 2025 - 445 in English and 280 in Vietnamese. Mr. Bac emphasized the need for the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to assist in vetting the content of these submissions.

He also proposed that Deputy PM Mai Van Chinh assign the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs to lead continued collaboration with the interagency task force and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to finalize the detailed proposal and submit it to the Government in early April.

Binh Minh