November 1st, 2013 – Beijing
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to address the Beijing Forum on the occasion of its 10th anniversary.
I would also like to seize this auspicious occasion to congratulate the Beijing University and the organizers of this Beijing Forum for having created this unique platform for constructive dialogue among officials from Member States, United Nations, academia, media and other organizations.
I’m confident that our discussion, if combined with the necessary political will, can result into useful ideas to serve the expectations of many people around the globe.
The Harmony of Civilizations and Prosperity for all is indeed the theme we need for this year’s discussion.
Re-trospect and Prospect on the other hand are important pillars to count on, so we can evaluate where we are and what we need to do.
No doubt that we want to achieve harmony and stability that leads prosperity.
Multi-cultural dialogue is essential to reach this goal. Therefore we need to have a better understanding of the current state of international affairs so we can pursue our noble objectives.
We are invited to think for a moment, on what fundamental factors we need to realize these goals of Harmony and Prosperity?
Taking stock of where we are, and how we have got here, is indispensable to chart our course, for the future that we want.
As economy develops and transforms, tensions within society of all kinds may surface.
Traditional thinking versus scientific modernity.
Educated and informed youth with access to global ideas versus an older generation deeply committed to tradition and status quo.
Urban migrants versus existing residents.
And industrial production versus environmental de-gradation, to name just a few.
Such encounters naturally create contradictions and tensions.
People of the same society begin to see their fellow citizens that have different views from their own, as the ‘Others’.
Rising economic powers regularly face these challenges on the domestic front.
Unfortunately, these situations can be exploited upon by extremists that exploit people’s grievances for their own ends by spreading an ideology of hatred and targeting the perceived ‘Others’.
This, ladies and gentlemen, jeopardizes the potential for harmony.
What we need to combat these social scourges is fostering an environment that respects human rights.
An environment that promotes understanding and tolerance through dialogue, founded upon the principles of mutual respect and equality for all.
If we do so, we can prevent these divides from occurring, and provide a stable base upon which the society can develop harmony, conducive to prosperity.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In the post-cold war period, the economic performance of Asia in general and China in particular has been remarkable.
Do you know why China today is the world’s second largest economy and a rising power that is increasingly influencing the world order?
Historically, China is great civilization with rich heritage and legacy.
Indeed the Confucius philosophy could galvanize China’s assets with its human richness, into a very special life style the values harmony, in a way every nation wish to have.
China’s rapidly rising status presents her with both challenges and opportunities, internal and external.
I can see great potential for the Alliance to make a use of these great gifts in this country.
It is no secret that the world is watching, what role China will play in the world of tomorrow, the new order of power that is being shaped by its rise.
This has been made possible by responsible leaderships of successive Chinese governments in serving the national and regional interests of China and its people.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Since the economic reforms of the late 1970s, China’s economic performance has contributed positively not only to China’s own economic development, but also to the growth and stability of the region and the world at large.
This country, could achieve a lot through trade, investment, and economic cooperation, including through South-South Cooperation which she takes its leadership.
I personally witnessed this when worked with China in my capacity as Chair of the G77 and China at the United Nations.
I witnessed the same spirit by China when I was the president of the UNGA High Level Committee on South-South Cooperation.
In this regard I would like to express my thanks for all the support I received from this country, during these various missions.
Today, when China emerges as a leading world power, her commitment to religious tolerance, human rights, and cultural diversity both at home and abroad, will enable the whole region to further strengthen the Alliance and make a substantial contribution to the Harmony of Civilizations and Prosperity for all.
I have every confidence that China’s rise can continue to benefit the humanity, both now and well into the future, by bringing about the peace and progress that we all seek.
In this regard I commend again the creation of the Beijing Forum since 2004.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Both the Beijing Forum and UNAOC share similar vision, which is to achieve the Harmony of Civilizations and Prosperity for all.
The Alliance’s mission is to generate collective political will and to mobilize concerted action to improve cross-cultural understanding and cooperation among countries, peoples and communities.
The Alliance works at both governmental and civil society levels to counter forces that fuel polarization and extremism.
It is in the pursuit of this mission that the Alliance focuses on multiple initiatives simultaneously.
The Alliance has four major pillars to focus on through practical projects and activities to achieve our main mission, namely Youth, Education, Media and Migration.
Under my tenure I have expanded these objectives to include additional priorities, which are: Music, Art, Entertainment and Sports, with a deeper Civil Society engagement.
As a product of historical events and geographical factors, many countries have, linguistically, religiously, and ethnically diverse societies.
China is a good living example for this rich diversity.
Even within the same region, peoples of different countries can appear to be quite different from each other.
This is totally healthy and conducive to exchange of fruitful ideas, wealth of thought and knowledge.
On the other hand, unfortunately some may see this diversity as a problem.
I totally disagree with their narrow thinking.
Differences, can never justify religious hatred, cultural intolerance, racial discrimination and rejection of the ‘others’ within the same society.
Powerful majority should not suppress a weak minority, just for identity based mis-understandings that can be solved through dialogue.
These social challenges, if not peacefully resolved, may exceed countries borders then lead to tensions and even conflicts between countries.
Such tensions, whether they are within a society, between countries, between regions, or even between civilizations, may damage the prospect of The Harmony of Civilizations of the world as a whole, thereby, impeding Prosperity, where we will all pay the price.
Therefore, UNAOC actively pursues the shared vision of The Harmony of Civilizations by encouraging interfaith dialogue, inter-religious and inter-cultural tolerance, and respect for the ‘others’.
The goal is not to suppress diversity and convert the ‘others’ into “us”, but instead, to recognize and respect diversity and achieve pluralism based on mutual respect and equal opportunities.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Alliance is committed to the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the freedom of religion, belief and expression, while at the same time taking a clear stand against extremism, religious and cultural intolerance, and the suppression of any community’s language, heritage or religion.
We will present tomorrow during the special UNAOC session, practical activities we are conducting in these areas
Ladies and gentlemen,
You can imagine the scale and complexity of the challenges dealt with by the Alliance. This reality creates a hard task for political consensus.
In order to create global political will for the Alliance of Civilizations, a Group of Friends was established, consisting of member States, Intergovernmental organizations and associates of civil society organizations.
This Group of Friends keeps on growing. At present there are a total of 138 members, of which 114 are countries and 24 are intergovernmental organizations.
This year, on my initiative, the Alliance’s succeeded in issuing Political Declarations by consensus on two separate occasions.
Each of the declarations constitute affirmations of the member States’ support to the Alliance and commitments by the parties to the core issues contained in these outcomes.
These issues include human rights, freedoms, religious tolerance, interfaith dialogue, cultural pluralism and programs in the area of youth, education, migration and media.
Our strong belief is that the wide reach and networks that the UNAOC is building can be leveraged by the Beijing Forum to achieve our common goals.
Throughout my diplomatic career at the UN, I have enthusiastically championed the cause of global peace based on the principles of human dignity and prosperity for all.
Today, I am happy to offer the full support and cooperation of the Alliance, to the Beijing Forum.
We can work hand in hand to promote the objectives and principles of the UN Charter which will definitely serve global harmony, prosperity and development for all.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me also draw your attention for one of the root causes to some serious challenges global harmony is facing.
Poverty, unemployment and a sense of deprivation provide a fertile ground for extremism and constitute environment conducive to violence.
We are responsible to support economic development efforts and programs.
While being an advocate and supporter of economic development, I have been cognizant of the impact that rapid economic growth can have on the environment, stability and prosperity.
Sustainable development is a priority for me, its importance and relation to UNAOC was reaffirmed by the outcome of the Fourth Global UNAOC Forum held in Doha in December 2011.
It is imperative that we preserve nature while we benefit from its generosity, for the sake of our harmony.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We understand that the efforts to realize our common mission should be well organized at every level.
Since I took office, I started deepening our work and collaboration with various components of the UN system.
The private sector is involved with the Alliance and its mission as they realize that peace and harmony ultimately lead to stable and expanding markets with freer and just trade between nations.
Let me take this opportunity to make a call to the vibrant corporate sector in China to join forces with the Alliance.
We believe that given its mission, commitment, talent and resources the Beijing Forum can play a substantial role in contributing towards China’s national strategy, and also contribute to our efforts in developing and executing a regional strategy for Asia and south Pacific.
I encourage you all to attend the special UNAOC session tomorrow that will look at the role of the Alliance in the Asia and South Pacific region. Your inputs and advice are most welcome.
The active participation of the Beijing Forum in the UNAOC regional consultation held last November in Shanghai was a very positive step in that regard.
This has included outreach visits to Central and East Asian Countries. The next Global Forum of the UNAOC will take place in Indonesia in August 2014. I’m looking forward to an active collaboration with the Beijing Forum at this occasion.
As Asia continues to strive for and attain ever higher levels of development and prosperity, many Asian countries are facing the threat of extremism and intolerance, which may feed the fire of more tensions and conflicts.
I am convinced that the contributions of entities like the Beijing Forum will not only participate in combating these threats but also achieve Harmony of Civilizations and Prosperity for all in the region and beyond.
The Alliance looks forward to working closely with and benefiting from the Beijing Forum as we together realize our common vision for the one world we share together as human beings.
I thank you for your attention and wish you very fruitful meeting.