By Holy See Mission
Statement by H.E. Archbishop Celestino MiglioreApostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy
See to the United NationsBefore the Plenary of the 59th General
Assembly, on item 35:Culture of PeaceNew York, 26 October 2004Mr.
President,For
many decades now, the need to promote an effective culture of peace has
been
widely acknowledged and, since 1967, the Popes too have played their
part,
sending a Message on the first day of January every year to all people
of good
will, each time proposing a fresh theme concerning peace and how to
achieve it.
These Messages have already started to build up a mosaic of topics and
experiences for the realization of a culture of peace in the sense under
discussion today.It is
very clear that the world needs peace now as much as ever. My
delegation is
pleased to seize this occasion to reiterate its confidence in the United
Nations
as one of the key institutions at mankind's disposal for the spread of a
culture
of peace.As
the Secretary-General mentioned in his recent report on the work of the
Organization, we need only consider the increase in UN peacekeeping
operations
during the past year. Similarly, this year has also seen the creation
of a
Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, in the struggle to uphold and
protect
human rights and the rule of law. With the necessary cooperation from
all its
members, the UN can truly be an effective instrument of the political
will of
the world’s nations.In
spite of these successes - and initiatives such as the goals of
globalization
within this International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence
for the
Children of the World - the usually more dominant culture appears
sometimes to
trigger cultural reactions against true peace and create suspicions
about it.
Similarly, globalization seems unable to prevent threats to peace
because
cultural revivalism tends to create walls that separate people from one
another. Cynicism emerges from misunderstanding among peoples that are
the
results of unnecessary barriers. The concept of security itself has
come to
create a continuing tension between national, international and global
security
interests.To
address the problems of security at any cost, all labors toward
authentic peace
must be nurtured unceasingly, balancing threat-based with cooperative
security
interests. The defense of peace, so often a fragile entity, must be
reinforced.
This can be achieved by cultivating in the minds of all people of good
will the
imperative to become in some way agents of peace. They are its
architects, its
builders and even its bridges. Making peace a reality is possible,
through the
education of consciences that an openness and respect for others can
produce.Mr.
President,The
58th session of the GA considered resolutions on the International
Decade for a
Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, on the
University of Peace, and on Religious and Cultural Understanding,
Harmony and
Cooperation. All three are vital elements of building peace in the
world, but
this last item warrants special attention today. We agreed in last
year's
resolution that "acts of violence, intimidation and coercion motivated
by
religious intolerance are on the increase in many parts of the world and
threaten the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms"
(A/RES/58/128).Nonetheless, we have to acknowledge that there is already a
foundation
to build upon in the area of interreligious cooperation; for example,
the
various meetings organized by UNESCO in Central Asia, the Mediterranean
region,
both North and West Africa and the Asian-Pacific region. These
discussions
covered areas such as terrorism, conflict resolution, HIV/AIDS, the role
of
religious leaders in easing tensions, in counteracting the hijacking of
religious values for use as a pretext to justify violence and in
supporting
disarmament and non-proliferation.The devastating effects of conflict usually last
generations, making
reconciliation and any semblance of normal life extremely difficult if
not
impossible. Although there has been much focus on weapons of mass
destruction,
we cannot ignore the many other forms of weapons used in conflicts
around the
world. Here, in this discussion, the Holy See raises this point in
order to
call for a more energetic commitment to underline the deep linkages
between the
promotion of the culture of peace and the strengthening of the
disarmament and
non-proliferation process.Mr.
President,While
it is true that the other name of peace is authentic development for all
peoples, my delegation also believes that an important engine for this
peace is
political will. Harnessing it will greatly assist this Assembly to move
forward
from the imputed perception of being a mere forum for analysis or a
resolution-making machine into a real locus for the cultivation of
transparency
and building up of confidence. With political will, the untapped moral
resources of nations can emerge to transform civilizations so that,
finally,
they learn to treasure life and promote peace.
Thank
you, Mr. President.
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