The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has approved a resolution establishing June 11th as the International Day of Play, to be commemorated annually.
The UN resolution highlights the significance of play and recreation in promoting the health and well-being of children, fostering creativity, imagination, self-confidence, and other essential skills.
“Acknowledging that play and recreation are essential to the health and well-being of children and promote the development of creativity, imagination, self-confidence, self-efficacy and sense of responsibility, as well as physical, social, cognitive, communication and emotional strength and skills, decides to proclaim June 11 as the International Day of Play, to be observed annually,” the UN resolution reads.
The resolution also calls upon all member states of the United Nations, specialized agencies, observers of the General Assembly, as well as various international, regional, and subregional organizations, civil society, the private sector, and academia to appropriately observe the International Day of Play. This includes conducting activities aimed at educating and raising awareness about the importance of play.
Kenya was among the 13 core group countries that advocated for the resolution, receiving support from 138 co-sponsoring countries.
The other core countries involved in championing the resolution include Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Indonesia, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
