Which UN body proclaimed an International Day of Nowruz in 2010?

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed an International Day of Nowruz in 2010.

The proclamation recognized Nowruz as a spring festival with deep cultural importance across parts of Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans. The resolution encouraged international efforts to share information about the celebration and its traditions.

Nowruz had already been included in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. The UN observance is separate from that UNESCO inscription: one is an international day established by a UN resolution, while the other recognizes living cultural heritage.

The observance takes place each year on March 21, although the actual Persian New Year begins at the precise moment of the vernal equinox, which can fall on March 20 or March 21 depending on the year and location.