Yes... Kadiragmar did propose the international recognition of Vesak as a day of observance and it's a United Nations Observance Day.
Also if I remember right JRJ had discussions with the Indonesian Prsident and got the Vesak holiday in Indonesia.
Usually it's a holiday in many South Asian countries and also Japan... but the dates vary from May to June.
This confusion is caused by our Media who does not now the difference between 'building blocks of life found on Mars' and "Bricks found on Mars". But claim themselves veteran journalists or journals.
I can remember the hype given to this Vesak being considered as Internationally by UN and how it was recorded locally .
Few years after that when I went abroad , I realized the truth.
The declaration of Vesak , as a Holiday is left to each member country. UN has no authority to declare any day as Holiday. There is no International Convention to recognize holidays and each country has sole prerogative to accept or reject any day as holiday. In most countries even 1st of May (International Labour Day now called Workers' Day , is not a holiday! So what about religious holidays considering animosity among countries regarding religion.
Late Minister being a catholic was instrumental in getting Vesak recognized in UN, whereas late Buddhist scholar Dr Gunapala Malalasekera who was our PR at UN nearly half a century ago, and many more Buddhists to follow as PR in UN and also as FM, could not do it . Hats off to late Minister, who was the last in politics with a vision!(not that one has to agree with all he did or stated)