28 June 2012: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted a resolution proclaiming 20 March as the International Day of Happiness. UNGA President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser proposed the draft resolution in a plenary meeting on 28 June 2012, on behalf of the Member States, who adopted the text by consensus.

In July 2011, the UNGA agreed to a proposal from Bhutan to note the inadequacy of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as an indicator of the wellbeing of a people in a country, and invited States to elaborate additional measures for incorporating wellbeing into development policies and into the measurement of social and economic development. The latest Resolution follows on that invitation.

The adopted text recognizes: the “relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals … and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives; and the need for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the well-being of all peoples.” [UNGA Draft Resolution (A/66/L.48/Rev.1)] [UNGA Resolution (A/RES/66/281), Circulated 12 July 2012] [Webcast of UNGA Meeting] [IISD RS Story on July 2011 Resolution]