UN Secretary-General Rings Peace Bell for International Day of Peace 2024 (original) (raw)
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September 14, 2024
UN Secretary-General Rings Peace Bell for International Day of Peace 2024
Photo: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Philemon Yang, President of the seventy-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly, pose for a photo with members of the UNSRC Singers who performed during the Peace Bell Ceremony on the occasion of the International Day of Peace 2024 (September 21). The International Day of Peace 2024 theme is Cultivating a Culture of Peace.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. In that declaration, the Assembly recognized that peace is not only the absence of conflict but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged, and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation. September 13, 2024. New York. United States of America. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
Photo: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rings the Peace Bell during the ceremony held at UN headquarters in observance of the International Day of Peace 2024 (September 21). The International Day of Peace 2024 theme is Cultivating a Culture of Peace. September 13, 2024. New York. United States of America. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
Photo: Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, speaks during the Peace Bell Ceremony on the International Day of Peace 2024 (September 21). The International Day of Peace 2024 theme is Cultivating a Culture of Peace. September 13, 2024. New York. United States of America. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
Photo: A member of the Tarumi Violin Program performs during the Peace Bell Ceremony on the International Day of Peace 2024 (September 21). The International Day of Peace 2024 theme is Cultivating a Culture of Peace. The Tarumi Violin Program, founded in 1986, comprises talented young musicians from the Greater New York Metropolitan area. September 13, 2024. New York. United States of America. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
New York, United Nations, September 13, 2024 — Below are UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ remarks at the Peace Bell ceremony in New York today:
“We are gathered here today to emphasize the importance of peace. At the United Nations, peace is our primary objective, guiding principle, and fundamental belief. However, peace is currently under threat, and war is prevalent.
“From the Middle East to Sudan, Ukraine, and beyond, we witness the devastating effects of bullets and bombs, resulting in casualties, trauma, and widespread destruction.
“Simultaneously, the pillars of a peaceful world are deteriorating. There are escalating geopolitical divisions, widening inequalities, the proliferation of misinformation fueling hatred, misuse of new technologies without regulations, and the climate crisis causing instability, resource depletion, and displacement of communities.
“International institutions need to be better prepared to respond, and there is an opportunity for change. Later this month, at the Summit of the Future, we can initiate the process of reform and revitalization:
- By adapting multilateral institutions to the current reality instead of the post-World War II reality.
- By advancing “A New Agenda for Peace.”
- By revitalizing the Sustainable Development Goals.
- By upholding human rights.
- By addressing the intersection of climate and security.
- By establishing regulations for new technologies in conflicts.
- By promoting and ensuring gender equality.
- By fighting against racism and discrimination.
- By ensuring full and meaningful participation in civic life and peacebuilding, particularly of young people, women and girls, and historically marginalized communities.
“In essence, we must foster a culture of peace. This year’s International Day of Peace is dedicated to this theme. It is a cause that all peace and justice advocates must support today and every day throughout the Summit of the Future and beyond.
“This is the call we make today. May it resonate across the globe.
“Before I ring the Peace Bell, please join me in a moment of silence to contemplate the significance and necessity of peace—and how each of us can contribute to creating the conditions for a peaceful world to thrive.”
Source: United Nations, New York
— The Editor is a Member of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS)
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:25 AM | Link to this Post