As delivered
Closing remarks by H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, at High Level Forum on Culture of Peace
7 September 2017
Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury,
Distinguished guests
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen
First, thank you everyone for your active participation in this High-Level Forum on Culture of Peace.
I would like to thank Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Babtain for coming from Kuwait to speak to us. I thank the moderator, panel members and all other speakers today for your valuable contributions to our discussions.
Throughout the day, there has been strong engagement from Member States, civil society, community leaders, and experts in the field on practical ways that we can help to foster a culture of peace across our world.
We have heard of emerging trends and long-standing hurdles inhibiting our achievement of peaceful and just societies that are free from fear and violence.
We have affirmed the importance of investing in inclusivity, of building social cohesion through intercultural, and interfaith understanding, and of teaching the values of equity and respect.
We have emphasised the key role that education and early childhood development must play in our efforts to promote tolerance and non-discrimination, and to nurture the next generation of agents for peace.
Finally, we have stressed the importance of building a culture of peace to achieve a world of sustaining peace and sustainable development, as an essential element of our efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
As we conclude today’s meeting, let us all commit to taking the uplifting ideas discussed here, outside of these halls for application in our daily toil at the United Nations and in the wider world.
Let us work to build bridges of understanding amongst our people; to create environments that foster inclusion and mutual respect; to develop education systems that teach harmony; and to raise children and grandchildren who will safeguard a global culture of peace.
I thank you.