Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson of the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) on the Occasion of International Day of Peace
New York — 21 September 2018
Since 1982, the International Day of Peace has been observed around the world to uphold the ideal of peace within and among nations and peoples. Peace Day provides an opportunity for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences. On International Day of Peace, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) stresses the urgent need to re-commit to interreligious and intercultural dialogue and the promotion of tolerance, diversity and a culture of peace.
Building sustainable peace is at the core of UNAOC’s mission and activities, as reflected in its Young Peacebuilders Programme. This education programme is indeed designed to equip young people with the tools to address stereotypes, prejudice, and polarization and to build inclusive and peaceful societies in their communities and globally.
In the context of Peace Day, as well as the upcoming Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, UNAOC will be holding a Group of Friends Ministerial Meeting on 28 September at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly’s High-level meetings. This Group of Friends Meeting will focus on “Building Bridges: Using Soft Power to Promote a Culture of Peace.”
A few weeks later, on 19 and 20 November 2018, UNAOC will be holding its 8th UNAOC Global Forum at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, with the overarching theme of “Commit2Dialogue: Partnerships for Prevention and Sustaining Peace.” The United Nations Secretary-General will participate in both days of the Forum.
The 8th UNAOC Global Forum will serve as a unique platform to share knowledge and explore innovative ways of promoting inclusive approaches to conflict prevention as a pathway for sustaining peace. It will also help build meaningful partnerships to achieve that goal.
The primary mission of UNAOC is to forge collective political will and to mobilize concerted action at improving cross-cultural dialogue and cooperation among countries, peoples and communities in order to prevent conflict and promote social cohesion. The UNAOC Global Forums are a leading platform for promoting intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation.