Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Dennis Francis,
at the High-Level Forum on a Culture of Peace
2 August 2024
[As Delivered]
Excellencies,
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I thank you all for joining today’s commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
Allow me to express my deep appreciation to the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh for its continued stewardship of this important event – as well as its ongoing commitment to promoting the implementation of this timeless Declaration and Programme of Action.
When I assumed the Presidency of this session, I anchored my vision on four watchwords to guide our work – Peace, Progress, Prosperity and Sustainability for all.
While I knew intuitively that Peace was likely to be at the fore of the agenda, I planned to give heavy orientation to mobilizing global efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs, mindful that they were significantly off track.
I had not envisioned, nor for that matter, had anyone – at the time – the tumultuous chain of events that would unleash the profound turmoil that has overtaken the Gaza strip over the last ten months, and which imposed the re-calibration of our priorities.
Sadly, we have all borne witness to the escalating conflicts unfolding in Ukraine, Gaza, Haiti and Sudan – among others, elsewhere around the world. These challenges serve as a stark reminder that we should never take peace for granted, simply because, security, calm and stability can be dissipated, literally, without warning, and be overtaken by confrontation and hostilities. That the absence of war is not in and of itself a guarantee for durable peace.
Rather, we must, instead, conceive of and treat peace as a dividend of investment – an investment in education, in healthcare, in economic growth, in social progress, and in sustainable development generally.
And that strategically it is during peacetime, when the potential for open frank dialogue is at its peak, that we must work even harder to cultivate and nurture peace.
Because all our shared progress, prosperity and sustainability comes finally to rest on a solid foundation for peace and stability.
In the visionary words of Mahatma Gandhi, “there is no way to peace, peace is the way”.
Excellencies,
Today’s commemoration is a moment to recognize and to re-dedicate ourselves to the imperative of a culture of peace – a culture that embraces the eight principles of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, and I enumerate them as follows:
- Fostering a culture of peace through education;
- Promoting sustainable economic and social development;
- Promoting respect for all human rights – I repeat, all human rights;
- Ensuring gender equality;
- Fostering democratic participation;
- Advancing understanding, tolerance, respect and solidarity;
- Supporting the free flow of information; and
- Promoting international peace and security.
These are principles that, taken together, form the basis of a culture of peace – and the core principles that nourish and nurture said culture.
For our efforts to be successful, they must by definition, be collective and inclusive in acknowledging and embracing the contributions of governments, development institutions, civil society organizations, youth organizations, academia, media and, of course, the UN System, in promoting and ensuring a culture of peace.
I recognize, in particular, the work of UNESCO, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations – for their tireless work to engage diverse audiences in a mission to promote peaceful coexistence.
However, as a community of nations we have much more to do.
Ongoing conflicts loom larger with some showing rapid escalation and growing tensions over this anniversary – and seriously threaten to derail any progress we can make across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; also compromising peace and security for present and future generations.
Gaps are widening precisely when they should be closing – as seen in the deeply entrenched unwillingness to engage in meaningful diplomacy and dialogue to create peaceful outcomes amidst extreme polarization and heightened geopolitical tensions.
Excellencies, Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As we mark today’s commemoration, we must recommit to work together to instill the values of diplomacy and dialogue, reconciliation, mediation, justice, inclusion, and equality in resolving any conflict or dispute.
That begins with a process of genuine communication; talking to one another – not talking down to or talking past each other. It means practicing what we preach and demonstrating our own commitment to peace.
As Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate, Mr. Muhammad Yunus, once said: “Peace should be understood in a human way − in a broad social, political and economic way. Peace is threatened by unjust economic, social and political order, absence of democracy, environmental degradation and the absence of human rights.”
Thus – as we look to the Summit of the Future with such anticipation – let us reflect on how we can work to advance this important Programme of Action across all of its focus areas and ensure a brighter, more secure and peaceful future for all.
I call upon us all to foster a culture of peace, at all levels, from early childhood education through to university curricula – ensuring that an enduring culture of peace is permanently inscribed into our consciousness and integrated into our sustainable development efforts.
In a similar vein, I call upon governments to ensure inclusivity in policies and state practices – empowering all citizens – all citizens – to be agents of change and progenitors of peace.
I thank you, I wish you fruitful discussions.
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