On April 2, 2012, the United Nations held the first ever High-Level Meeting on Happiness and Wellbeing: Defining a New Economic Paradigm.

At the First High-Level Meeting, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said, “We need a new economic paradigm that recognizes the parity between the three pillars of sustainable development. Social, economic and environmental well-being are indivisible. Together they define gross global happiness.”

The International Day of Happiness was founded on June 28th, 2012, when all 193 member states of the United Nations adopted UN resolution 66/281 by consensus recognizing happiness as a fundamental human right and goal, and aspiration in the lives of all human beings.