The United Nations (UN) General Assembly on March 25 passed a draft resolution proposed by Vietnam and some other countries designating June 11 as International Day of Play.
The resolution was co-sponsored by 138 countries, with Vietnam, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Jamaica, Kenya and Luxembourg as co-authors.
Representatives from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) applauded the initiative and pledged to facilitate the observance.
Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Vietnam's Permanent Representative to the UN, stressed the importance of play and recreation to human development, and promoting the culture of dialogue, solidarity and cooperation, thus contributing to conflict prevention and peace building.
For Vietnam, the resolution is expected to help the country step up activities to protect children’s rights and interests, he added.
The ambassador thanked other UN member countries for their support, and expressed his hope that the initiative will be spread to contribute to maximising human potential and pushing ahead with the implementation of the UN 2030 agenda on sustainable development.
The resolution calls on all UN member countries and agencies, and other stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations, research institutes and the private sector, to celebrate the day in order to raise public awareness of play and recreational activities.
