The World Interfaith Harmony Week was first proposed at the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2010 by H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan. On October 20, 2010, it was unanimously adopted by the UN declaring the first week of February as a World Interfaith Harmony Week. The seminal message in the declaration is love and harmony. These two values are described as: “Love of God and Love of the Neighbor, or Love of the Good and Love of the Neighbor”; and “the Confucian concept of ‘harmony’ suggests not merely ‘peace’, but also ‘beautiful and dynamic interaction between different elements within a whole.”
World Interfaith Harmony Week Resolution UNGA A/65/PV.34
Recognizing that the moral imperatives of all religions, convictions and beliefs call for peace, tolerance and mutual understanding, Reaffirms that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace;
Proclaims the first week of February of every year the World Interfaith Harmony Week between all religions, faiths and beliefs;
Encourages all States to support, on a voluntary basis, the spread of the message of interfaith harmony and goodwill in the world’s churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship during that week, based on love of God and love of one’s neighbour or on love of the good and love of one’s neighbour, each according to their own religious traditions or convictions;
Requests the Secretary-General to keep the General Assembly informed of the implementation of the present resolution.
