Ban said that the song — also known to be a favourite of US President Barack Obama — represented his hopes for a successful agreement on climate change at a UN-led conference in Paris later this year.
The United Nations in 2012 declared an International Day of Happiness — which coincides with the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere — after an initiative by Bhutan, the Himalayan land that measures a “Gross National Happiness” instead of a standard economic indicator.
“On this day we are using the universal language of music to show solidarity with the millions of people around the world suffering from poverty, human rights abuses, humanitarian crises and the effects of environmental degradation and climate change,” Ban said.
Last year, the International Day of Happiness invited music fans around the world to dance to Pharrell Williams’ hit Happy, creating a viral sensation.
The campaign, which did not specify restrictions on genre, asked music fans to post songs on social media with the hashtag #HappySoundsLike. The playlist will be released by streaming service MixRadio.