India abstains from voting for ‘International Day of Hope’ at UN General Assembly

In a move that drew widespread attention, India abstained from voting on a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which sought to declare July 12 as the International Day of Hope. Despite receiving overwhelming support with 161 votes in favor and only one against – the United States – India, along with Turkey, Peru, and Paraguay, chose to abstain from voting.

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on March 4, 2025, aimed at promoting hope, unity, and resilience globally. However, India’s decision to abstain stood out, especially considering it supported three other resolutions put to vote on the same day, as per reports.

The representative of India reportedly highlighted that declaring an International Day of Hope may not fully resonate with the essence of inclusiveness India upholds, given the vast social, cultural, and spiritual differences within the country.

The United States was the only nation to vote against the resolution. The US representative criticised the resolution, claiming that it contributed to the “unnecessary proliferation” of international observances, many of which already have overlapping objectives.

According to the reports, the US emphasised that although there were no financial implications for the UN or its member states, efforts and resources should be directed toward addressing pressing global challenges rather than creating additional international observances. The representative also mentioned that the US was compelled to call for a vote and firmly stood against the resolution.

In a world grappling with numerous crises, resources and efforts should be channeled toward solving critical global issues rather than establishing more international days. Hence, we cannot support this resolution, the US stated.