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By Dr Tarek Elsheikh Today the world celebrates the International Day of Happiness, to commemorate the importance of happiness in people lives. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 28 June 2012. In 2015 the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, recognizing the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world. It also recognized the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty and hunger eradication, happiness and the well-being of all peoples. This is also a way to look at the current state of how cities/ countries are actually doing when it comes to their citizens’ subjective well-being. The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness that ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. The World Happiness Report 2020 for the first time ranks cities around the world by their subjective well-being and digs more deeply into how the social, urban and natural environments combine to affect our happiness. Kuwait is keen to enhance it’s global status to establish concepts and applications of happiness and quality of life at various levels, Kuwait democracy and preserving a refined democratic character and structure has been always and will continue to be Kuwait source of pride and happiness as well as our appreciation in United Nations. Kuwait has attached great importance to achieving the happiness of all citizens, residents and visitors to the country in all circumstances. This goal comes within its sustainable development priorities, by providing stability to all residents on its land. It has worked tirelessly during the covid-19 crisis to provide security and safety, provide decent livelihoods, and take proactive measures in fortifying the safety of its society and the health of its people. In the 2019 VNR Review i.e., “empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”, Kuwait committed itself to achieving a resilient society, free of inequalities and discrimination. As the United Nations, we are looking forward to the day when we formalize our yearly cooperation to collaborate with State of Kuwait’s people, residents and government to help achieve their aspirations for health, prosperity and happiness with rights-based, equal-opportunity to economic, social and environmental sustainability. The United Nations in Kuwait appreciate Kuwait renewed commitment to regional/world peace and human dignity, and to global partnership and international solidarity. Let us put our difference aside and be happy today and the days after! |
World celebrates International Day of Happiness
