Remarks by Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the General Assembly

High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace

31 August 20223

[As delivered]

Excellencies,

My good friend USG Guy Ryder,

Distinguished delegates,

When the General Assembly adopted, for the first time, its resolution on the Culture of Peace in 1999, it took a holistic approach to conflict prevention.

It directly linked education, sustainable development and human rights, promoting peace and non-violence in ways that are still very relevant a quarter of a century later.

Nevertheless, the number of conflicts across the globe has risen. According to scholars. we now have 56 wars and ongoing violent confrontations around the world.

Nuclear threats are once again occurring almost on a weekly basis.

And we have just crossed into a new frontier of the digital era.

Digital technologies have created enormous benefits for our human existence and our interconnectivity.

Yet, they have also sparked additional conflict dynamics and increased geostrategic competition, further endangering global security.

They are raising new concerns about cyberattacks, misinformation, hate speech and malicious use.

And, with nearly 3 billion people still offline, they are laying bare disparities in connectivity, income, gender, language and age that underpin the global digital divide.

In parallel, the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is challenging our common rules and our ability to guide development.

The cause of concern has never been the technology itself, but the human intention of what would it be used for. For supporting well-being or turn it into a weapon.

Left unchecked, these forces could cause irreparable damage across our societies.

So, how can we adapt our Declaration and Programme of Action on the Culture of Peace to changes in the digital era?

What governance frameworks and actions do we need to minimize the threats and maximize the potential of these technologies for the benefit of all?

“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed,” the UNESCO constitution declares.

Two axioms are clear:

Member States bear the primary responsibility for preventing conflict.

And prevention must remain a political and financial priority.

But, in the digital era, sustaining a culture of peace also means maintaining an online environment that encourages inclusivity, respect and tolerance.

It means standing up against hate speech and discrimination online, too, as they are often precursors to real-life mass atrocity crimes.

And it means addressing the danger of weaponizing new technologies – without compromising access to their benefits by the people that need them most.

We must all be on board in these endeavours, and multilateral cooperation is key to our success.

I am sure the Global Digital Compact being negotiated by Member States can help us ensure responsible use of the digital space, based on the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Dear friends,

Colleagues,

Excellencies,

we should never forget that maintaining peace requires commitment.

That our planet’s resources are finite and human dignity is intrinsic to us all.

Based on these pillars, let us build a future free from violence and war.

And let us renew our quest for a world in which peace reigns supreme.