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An article from the United Nations
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
We come together today to sound the call for peace.
Here at the United Nations, peace is our raison d’être, our guiding light, and our founding creed.
Secretary-General António Guterres rings the Peace Bell during the ceremony in observance of the International Day of Peace. PHOTO:UN/Cia Pak
Yet peace is under threat.
War is on the march.
From the Middle East, to Sudan, Ukraine, and beyond, we see bullets and bombs maim and kill; bodies piled high; populations traumatised; and buildings reduced to rubble.
Meanwhile, the foundations of a peaceful world are fracturing.
Geo-political divisions are widening.
Inequalities are growing.
Disinformation is fanning the flames of hate.
New technologies are being weaponised with no guardrails.
And the climate crisis is fuelling instability: depleting resources, and forcing people from their homes.
International institutions must be better positioned to respond.
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What is happening this year (2024) for the International Day of Peace?
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And we have a chance for change.
Later this month, at the Summit of the Future, we can begin the process of reform and revitalisation:
By adapting multilateral institutions to today’s reality, instead of the reality of the Second World War;
By advancing a New Agenda for Peace;
By revitalising the Sustainable Development Goals;
By protecting human rights;
By tackling the point where climate and security meet;
By agreeing guardrails on new technologies in conflict;
By defending and advancing gender equality;
By combatting racism and discrimination;
And by securing full and meaningful participation in civic life and peacebuilding –particularly young people, women and girls, and other historically marginalised communities.
In short, we must “cultivate a culture of peace.”
That is the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace.
And it is a cause all us devotees of peace and justice must rally behind, this day and everyday – through the Summit of the Future and beyond.
That is the call we make today.
May it ring out around the world.
Before I sound the peace bell, please join me in a moment of silence to reflect on the meaning and necessity of peace – and the way in which each of us can nurture the conditions needed for a peaceful world to flourish.
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