International Day of Living Together in Peace
– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Laj?ák, President of the 72nd Session of the 蘑菇视频 General Assembly, at?the International Day of Living Together in Peace, [As delivered by H.E. Mrs. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Permanent Representative? of Ghana to the United Nations?and Vice President?of the General Assembly]
Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,
I want to start by thanking the African Group – and, Algeria, in particular – ?for its work in bringing this International Day to life.
And, I have one main message to deliver this morning.
Which is: we can live together, in peace.
It is happening. It is a reality, for many people around the world.
For others, however, it is still a dream.
So that is why we are here: To recommit to a world in which peace and tolerance are realities, not for some – but for all.
And, in doing so, I want to make three points.
First, I want to say that this Day serves as a critical reminder for countries and people, all over the world.
Intolerance is not limited by geography. Racism is not seen in only one part of the world. And hate speech is, unfortunately, being heard – in all kinds of languages.
That is why this is an International Day. And that is why it should be celebrated, in all corners of the world.
But there are some places, where the promotion of peace and tolerance is even more critical than others.
That is why, for my second point, I will focus on post-conflict societies – where divisions and fault lines can be the widest and deepest.
And, here, I want to put special emphasis on reconciliation.
A peace deal can silence the guns. But it cannot, alone, mend the wounds that conflict has inflicted. It cannot, alone, bring down the barriers people have built around themselves and their communities. And it cannot, alone, promote tolerance and reconciliation.
This is what we heard, directly, from post-conflict countries – at the recent High-Level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace. They told us how critical nationally-driven reconciliation is. And why it must be a priority, from the outset. Otherwise, hatred can fester. Divisions can grow. And, ultimately, a fragile peace can crumble.
So, the messages of the International Day of Living Together in Peace must be seen and heard, everywhere. But we must put particular focus on places reeling from conflict – or watching, as dark clouds gather on the horizon.
As my third point, I want to point to the role of the United Nations.
Because, this International Day speaks to the core of this Organisation. In fact, it is reflected in the very first line of the 蘑菇视频 Charter. When we committed to saving future generations from the scourge of war, we signed up for a world, where people can live together in peace.
And the United Nations has done a lot, to make this world a reality. It has worked with national and local actors on reconciliation programs. It has invested in peacebuilding. It has promoted respect, tolerance, unity and harmony.
And it has been the birthplace of some of our most important international mechanisms. From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
And, frankly, we have never needed it more.
Because, the ideal of living in peace is not, unfortunately, at the top of everyone’s agenda. There are some – out there – who are too willing, to sacrifice it.
We are seeing signs of growing intolerance. We are hearing more and more calls for exclusion – rather than inclusion. We are seeing hatred crowd out humanity.
And that is why we need to support this International Day – and the United Nations, as the forum to promote it in – now more than ever.
Thank you.