Remarks by Under-Secretary-General Miguel Ángel Moratinos,
High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)
at the Yerevan Dialogue Forum:
“Strengthening Multiculturalism in A Divided World”
10 September 2024, Yerevan, Armenia
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
I warmly thank His Excellency, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan, for his kind invitation and I extend my congratulations to the Government of Armenia for the launch of the first iteration of the Yeravan Dialogue.
It gives me great pleasure to be back in Yerevan, a beautiful city endowed with a rich history and a culture that embodies the nature of the Silk Road, for its distinct traditions and unique art forms that have blended Western and Oriental civilizations over the course of centuries.
While the global scene as we see it today often brings desperation, there is a reason to have hope for a better future.
Learning that Armenia and Azerbaijan are getting closer to a peace agreement was very encouraging. The agreement between the State Commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan reached earlier in April this year on the delimitation of the border was a positive step in the right direction. I sincerely hope that other outstanding issues would be soon resolved to achieve a full-fledged peace agreement.
For that important step, I commend the leadership of both countries for their wisdom, courage and for mastering political will.
Excellencies,
As the theme of this session suggests our world is divided.
There are many reasons underlying this fragmentation. Nonetheless, there is no justification to surrender to the status quo.
As we live in increasingly multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious, and multi-lingual societies, multiculturalism… diversity, and pluralism should be the foundation of our societies.
Dialogue is the bridge-builder that interlinks them all together.
Dialogue serves as one of the soft power tools for conflict prevention and conflict resolution. It is a tool that, sadly, is often overlooked and remains largely underfunded.
Distinguished guests,
When we think of the future, I ask: What exactly is our vision of the society of the future? Is it a society of segregated communities, marked at best by the coexistence of majorities and minorities with different, unequal rights and responsibilities, loosely bound together by mutual ignorance of each other and festered by stereotypes?
Or is it a vibrant, inclusive, and just society with equal rights and responsibilities? One that upholds human rights and protects the dignity of all its citizens?
I am a true believer in dialogue rather than monologue.
As we are talking about multiculturalism, I will stress that intercultural dialogue offers a forward-looking model for managing cultural diversity. That approach allows us to prevent ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural divides. It enables us to move forward together, to deal with our different identities constructively on the basis of shared universal values.
Dialogue transforms relations among communities affected by conflict as it rebuilds trust so that former enemies can envision and realize a shared future.
It is the first step in a long process towards confidence-building measures.
Dialogue across cultures, religions and civilizations is the platform that the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations continues to advocate. not only because it is our mandate and mission, but also believing that it is an imperative for sustainable peace.
Nonetheless, intercultural dialogue cannot be stipulated by law or decree.
Intercultural competencies are taught and learned when the right and safe space is provided.
Through dialogue, we foster a culture of peace as a way of life to bring social cohesion , mutual understanding and mutual respect.
UNAOC continues to be committed to creating opportunities for intercultural and interreligious dialogue and expanding platforms for community engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including religious leaders, representatives of civil society organizations, youth, women, academia, media professionals, and the business community.
It is important to remind ourselves of the common human values embedded in diverse civilizations from East, West, North and South.
Civilizations are built around a complexity of elements. Heritage, architecture, historical sites, urban centers, cultures, traditions and unique arts .
A true dialogue, is one that integrates all these elements together.
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
We may agree or disagree that the current geopolitical scene is dark and chaotic.
The global order is in disorder.
Wars and conflicts continue to rage in different corners of the world.
Polarization has reached dangerous heights.
Hate speech, xenophobia and religious intolerance are surging.
Disinformation and deepfakes add fuel to the raging fire of anger.
Vulnerable communities are being demonized and dehumanized, especially on account of their religion, belief, ethnicity or gender.
All this fuels hatred, triggers fear and drives a wedge between communities.
Distinguished guests,
The mission of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations rests in addressing the root causes of polarization and radicalization and providing a counter-narrative to racism, xenophobia, Christianophobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia as well as other forms of hatred and religious intolerance.
I wish to emphasize that at a time when conflicts are fuelling political tension, it must be recalled that such tensions never justify expressions of identity-based hatred.
That toxic hate that incites to violence, to attacks on individuals and the destruction of their religious sites diminishes societies.
Hatred brings the worst of humanity’s impulses.
What is even more challenging is that these manifestations of hate and bigotry are often iterated by political and religious leaders to serve their agendas.
It is our collective responsibility to stand up and speak out against all forms of hatred based on religion, belief , ethnicity or gender.
That’s why UNAOC developed the Plan of Action for Safeguarding Religious Sites in 2019. The Plan underscores the universality and sanctity of religious sites. Preserving religious and sacred sites and ensuring safe and free access to these sites is a pre-requiste for a lasting peace.
While the protection and preservation of religious sites is the prime responsibility of Member States, it is important to re-iterate that religious and sacred sites represent the heart and soul of any community.
Vandalizing or desecrating those sites cuts deep into these communities triggering anger that could lead to violence.
As this region emerges from decades of conflict, the preservation of religious sites belonging to religious communities across the faith spectrum is imperative to bring sustainable peace to the region.
I commit myself and stand ready with my office to offer whatever support is needed to achieve that end.
In this context, UNAOC will convene the Global Conference on Safeguarding Religious Sites during our 10th Global Forum in Cascais, Portugal from 25-27 November 2024 . The conference is in implementation of one of the recommendations of the United Nations Plan of Action for Safeguarding Religious Sites and it will bring together member states and religious leaders in what we hope will be a constructive discussion on the protection of religious sites.
Elsewhere, I have been following with deep concern the incursions and attacks on the Armenian Quarter of Old Jerusalem endangering the Armenian Christian Community in Old Jerusalem and destroying the property belonging to the Armenian Patriarchate.
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
As a politician, I only know too well that history and politics are often embroiled in long conflicts, further aggravating their complexities and prolonging those conflicts. They bring pain, grief, and despair on all parties to the conflict.
Peace does not mean the absence of war.
It is especially important to remember that during peacetime, there is a potential for open and frank dialogue.
I conclude with a call to commit to dialogue to transform relations among communities affected by conflict and rebuilds trust so that former enemies can envision and realize a shared future.
Dialogue paves the way for true reconciliation, to moving from a divided past towards a better future
Armenia is ready as the screens in the opening session highlighted this morning.
This is the time to rebuild trust and restore confidence.
Let’s not waste this precious moment.
I thank you.