The United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014 adopted an India-led resolution declaring June 21 as 'International Day of Yoga'. This comes less than three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea at the UNGA.   The Resolution was introduced by India's Ambassador to the United Nations and had 175 nations joining as co-sponsors, the highest number ever for any resolution in the 193-member UN General Assembly.  The resolution was adopted by an acclamation, without having to take a vote in "a testimony to the enthusiastic cross-cultural and universal appeal that Yoga enjoys amongst members of the United Nations."

Through the resolution, adopted under the agenda of 'Global Health and Foreign Policy,' the General Assembly recognised that Yoga "provides a holistic approach to health and well-being" and that wider the dissemination of information about benefits of practising Yoga would be beneficial for the health of the world population.

In introducing the resolution, India’s envoy to the UN quoted from PM Modi's address to the United Nations General Assembly in which he had asked world leaders to adopt an international Yoga day, saying that by changing lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change.  "Yoga embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well being," PM Modi had said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message, "Yoga can bring communities together in an inclusive manner that generates respect" and can "promote peace and development." The diverse benefits it brings he said were promoting "resilience against non-communicable diseases" and even helping people deal with stress in emergency situations.

It is estimated that 250 million people around the world practice Yoga.  June 21 has a cultural and cosmic significance as it is the day of the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere when the daylight hours are the longest. Thousands of people in Serbia and ex-Yugoslav countries practice yoga. It will be our endeavour to encourage Yoga organizations in Serbia to hold annual Yoga Conference on June 21.

Belgrade
December 12, 2014