6 September 2022
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to address all of you on this most important theme of fostering a ‘culture of peace’.
I hope to contribute to an enriching conversation on how we can apply the sentiments and principles of a culture of peace in today’s world.
I warmly thank the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh for its support in co-organizing this meeting.
My friends,
A culture of peace is given a very comprehensive definition in the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, which was adopted by the General Assembly, in September 1999.
It is defined as “a set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their rootcauses to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations”.
From this, we understand that a sustainable peace does not endure merely through the absence of violence or conflict. Rather, it requires our communities making continuous efforts to understand one another and toovercome differences through dialogue and respect.
Towards this end, a culture of peace promotes a shift of behavior within and between different layers of societies, ranging from states andcommunities to families and individuals.
The principles of cohesion and inclusivityunderlying it are especially important in today’s complex world filled with borderless challenges – such as pandemics, climate change,disinformation and economic uncertainty.
Each of these challenges have cross–cutting repercussions affecting the likelihood of conflict.
During my travels as President of the General Assembly, I had the opportunity of meeting witha lot of youth and women activists working in the areas of sustainable development and social cohesion and peace.
Their sincere commitment to public good reinforces my deep belief that the integration of all parts of society, particularly youth and women, is fundamental to ensure strong socialbonds and secure global peace.
Everyone must be given an equal opportunity to shape and build the future. That is how our decision making will be made more inclusive and just.
Excellencies,
There is a growing recognition of the importance of the values of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion to the success of peacebuilding efforts around the world.
However, implementing these values is challenging given the deep-rooted systemic issues, such as economic uncertainty, and ideologies such as those rooted in ultranationalism and bigotry, that undermine peacebuilding.
The scale and complexity of the challenges facing societies affected by conflict calls for creative approaches. Approaches that integrateefforts relevant to preventing conflict with the promotion of human rights, justice and the rule of law.
Excellencies,
Peace and justice are mutually reenforcing. We therefore need to invest in building more just societies, in which human rights, democratic norms, good governance, and respect for plurality are embedded into their political and constitutional frameworks.
Crafting such societies, requires continuous engagement with key stakeholders, including global and regional organizations, and civil society. Working alongside them, we must create strong institutions and stable and prosperous societies, conducive to peace.
Building and sustaining peace is also only possible if we acknowledge the understanding at the core of the 2030 Agenda, that human rights, peace and security, and development are deeply interlinked and mutually reinforcing
From that perspective I welcome the conceptual emphasis on peacebuilding and sustaining peace as one of the most significant outcomes of recent UN reforms. This is a milestone step towards building a stronger culture of peace.
We now must act together to translate our commitments into action. By doing so we can overcome conflicts, ensure justice and equality, and advance peacebuilding.
I thank you
