Background
The General Assembly met today to conclude its consideration of support by the United Nations of the efforts of governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies.
It was also expected to consider the third report of the General Committee; Declaration of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity on the aerial and naval military attack against Libya by the present United States Administration in April 1986; and the University for Peace; and culture of peace. Further, it was expected to elect 29 members of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and take action on a draft resolution on follow-up to the United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage.
For a summary of the report on support for new or restored democracies, see Press Release GA/10204 issued on 5 November.
Also before the Assembly is the
third report of the General Committee (A/58/250/Add.2), in which the Committee recommends that the item, entitled “Question of the Comorian island of Mayotte” be deferred to the Assembly’s fifty-ninth session and that it be included in the provisional agenda of that session.
The report of the Secretary-General on the
University for Peace (document A/58/430) provides details on the progress made in revitalizing the University, whose academic programme addresses the root causes of prejudice, hatred and conflict in a targeted, practical manner, strengthening resources of knowledge and expertise, which are urgently needed to promote peace and non-violence.
As part of a five-year programme of expansion and revitalization, a new academic programme has been designed, and is now being implemented at the campus in Costa Rica, including five new master’s degree programmes on peace and security issues and a number of short courses for mid-career professionals. And, while an increasing number of donors have provided financial support to launch and sustain the innovative academic programme, its full implementation and global expansion depend on strong and continued financial support in the years to come.
By the terms of the related draft resolution (document A/58/L.16), the Assembly would request the Secretary-General to consider further ways to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations and the University and to consider using the services of the University, as part of his conflict-resolution and peace-building efforts and in the promotion of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. It would also invite Member States, intergovernmental bodies, non-governmental organizations and interested individuals to contribute to the Trust Fund for Peace or to the budget of the University and to accede to the International Agreement for the Establishment of the University for Peace.
The note of the Secretary-General, transmitting the report of the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the
International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, 2001-2010 (document A/58/182) says that, now more than ever, efforts to reinforce the commitment of nations and civil societies to a culture of peace must be strengthened.
The report states that the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and the events in Iraq this year have once again focused the international community’s attention on the manifold threats posed by acts of violence, not simply to human security, but to the very principles and values of the United Nations Charter. Therefore, among its other recommendations, the report invites Member States to further develop their activities for the promotion of a culture of peace at the national, regional and international levels, and to provide information about such activities to UNESCO, through their national focal points for the Decade.
By the terms of the related draft resolution (document A/58/L.14), the Assembly would invite Member States to continue to place greater emphasis on and expand their activities to promote a culture of peace and non-violence, and to observe 21 September, each year, as the International Day of Peace, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 55/282, of 7 September 2001. It would further emphasize the significance of the plenary meetings on the item planned for its sixtieth session, and, in that regard, encourage participation at a high-level, and decide to consider, at an appropriate time, the possibility of organizing those meetings, as close as possible to the general debate.
In addition, the Assembly had before it, a draft resolution on the United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage (document A/58/L.11), by which it would invite UNESCO, in collaboration with States, observers, relevant United Nations bodies and other international and non-governmental organizations, to continue to intensify the implementation of programmes, activities and projects aimed at the promotion and protection of the world cultural heritage. The Assembly would also invite Member States and observers, to continue to promote education and raise public awareness, so as to foster respect for national and world cultural heritage.
By the terms of a draft resolution on
inter-religious dialogue and cooperation, (document A/58/L.13), the Assembly would decide to establish an Open-Ended Working Group to examine the contributions of inter-religious dialogue and cooperation, in strengthening the capacity of the United Nations to promote international peace and harmony. It would also recommend that the Working Group explore the possibility of instituting a process and/or establishing a mechanism, within the United Nations system, with the objective of harnessing inter-religious dialogue and cooperation to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations to promote international peace and harmony.
Statements on Support for New or Restored Democracies
ANDREY A. NIKIFOROV (
Russian Federation) said that the support of the United Nations for the consolidation of new or restored democracies constituted an important component of the Organization’s work, particularly in ensuring international cooperation and respect for human rights and freedoms. Democracy, development, and human rights and freedoms, were all inter-related and mutually reinforcing. However, when undertaking support for the building and development of democracy, the Organization’s approach must take into account the fact that there was no single, correct path to democracy. If the Organization’s efforts only tried to foster one kind of democracy, they would be counter-productive, and could actually result in violations of human rights and freedoms.
Therefore, United Nations support, he said, must take into account the particularities of individual cases. Reiterating that his country welcomed work for the consolidation of new or restored democracies at the intergovernmental level, including during the Fourth and Fifth International Conferences, he said such conferences must be open to the participation of all States, not reserved for a select few. Otherwise the restrictions imposed would limit their effectiveness. Given open participation, all members could share their positive experiences of democratic practices and values.
KIM SAM-HOON (Republic of Korea) expressed pleasure at the growing support for the promotion of democratization, evidenced by the wide and high-level participation in the Fifth International Conference of New and Restored Democracies, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, this year. With the action-oriented commitments that participants made at that conference, benchmarks had been clarified, for new and restored democratic societies to aspire towards. As host of the second Conference of the Community of Democracies last November, his country welcomed the growth of the new and restored democracies process, and pledged to actively participate in the follow-up that came, within and outside, the United Nations context. He believed the two movements could and should evolve, in a mutually complementary and reinforcing manner.
The difference in approach -- the push of the new and restored democracies, and the pull of the community of democracies, held the promise of the two movements working in different, but convergent ways, to strengthen the democratic way of life around the world, for people everywhere to live with dignity, free of want, and in peace. He reaffirmed that democracy and human rights were interdependent and inseparable. He also reiterated his country’s commitment to the promotion of democracy and human rights at home and abroad, including through the efforts of the United Nations system to support governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies.
Mr. TORRINGTON (Guyana) said that at the heart of the promotion and consolidation of democracy was the quest to derive cohesive norms that allowed for the dynamic interaction and mutual reinforcement of democratic principles and perspectives at the international, regional and domestic levels. He mentioned two particular aspects in the quest to overcome new challenges to greater democratization. First, the entrenchment of democracy presented a challenge, in that it elicited governance of a more responsive nature. While the second aspect, was revealed in the varied experiences of new and restored democracies, which have in recent times, subjected the mechanisms, role, significance and issues of participatory democracy to very close scrutiny.
The overarching lesson, he continued, was that democracy must be made more meaningful to those it served. There was thus, a great need for democratic norms to be adapted to accord with local realities. He was convinced that the international community was provided with an opportune juncture and rationale for more collaborative endeavour, in support of new and restored democracies. It was also clear that there should be increased, not decreased, international and donor commitment and support for the gestation of democracy in the new and restored democracies, especially in situations of enhanced vulnerability.
Statements on Culture of Peace
Introducing the draft resolution on “the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World” (document A/58/L.14), SAMINA NAZ (
Bangladesh) said the world was rediscovering and realizing the values of peace, solidarity and understanding. As a concept, the “culture of peace” was a set of values, attitudes and ways of life, based of freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance and respect for diversity and dialogue. With that in mind, Member States, civil society groups and individuals needed to dedicate themselves to promoting such a culture and to working for a campaign against all forms of violence, particularly violence against children.
The draft, which was based on last year’s text, incorporated a new preambular paragraph noting the prevention of armed conflict, as well as a mention, in another preambular, of gender equality in the list of efforts undertaken by the United Nations system and the international community, in furtherance of the culture of peace. It was Bangladesh’s earnest hope, she said, that the text would receive the Assembly’s unanimous support.
MARÍA ELENA CHASSOUL (Costa Rica), introducing the draft resolution on the University for Peace, recalled that in 1978, the proposal to create such an institution had been presented to the General Assembly, based on the premise that peace was not the result of fate, but was born in the minds of men. That proposal recognized the necessity to overcome the axiom that, “If you want peace, prepare for war”, and instead emphasized the need to prepare for peace through education. Yet, it had not been until 1980 that, with the adoption of Assembly resolution 35/55, the University for Peace had been established. That establishment also constituted the first international recognition of Costa Rica’s special vocation for peace.
Since that time, she added, the promotion of peace and security had become more important, in which regard the report of the Secretary-General was truly encouraging. It showed that real progress had been made in establishing a high-level academic programme with training and research aspects, and in expanding that programme from the University’s headquarters in Costa Rica to other parts of the world. The new, rigorous Master’s programme focused on the causes of conflict and dealt with them from a multidimensional perspective; a number of shorter courses were also offered. Costa Rica remained grateful to donor countries and those institutions that supported the University, but reaffirmed the need for further resource provision to enable the University to fulfil its potential.
BAYANI S. MERCADO (
Philippines), introducing the text on inter-religious dialogue, said more could be done to instil the culture of peace in the hearts and minds of people. More efforts could be exerted to engage all concerned, including non-governmental actors, through positive and participatory processes, where differences were respected, dialogues encouraged and conflicts transformed, through non-violent means, for cooperation. The promotion of the culture of peace demanded the participation of the entire international community. One important sector of civil society that could be tapped into, in the pursuit of peace and development, was the religious community. Religion was a powerful force in promoting peace, harmony and understanding, on account of its strong moral influence over the faithful.
In particular, he continued, inter-religious dialogue and cooperation would serve, as a collective tool to respect or bridge differences and help achieve positive outcomes, such as preventing or resolving conflict, and garnering support for key initiatives to advance the welfare of humanity, in support of the vision of the United Nations. In that regard, his nation had rich experience, including the Bishops-Ulama Forum, where Catholic and Protestant Mindanao bishops and Muslim religious leaders, (Ulama), had engaged in inter-religious dialogue to affirm their common commitments to peace and understanding. Their views were regularly presented to the Government.
Inter-religious dialogue was not a new phenomenon, he stated, adding that various religious leaders and their followers had long realized the importance of collaborating for peace, and inter-religious dialogues, at the international level, had been held. The Millennium World Peace Summit had been held in 2000, and UNESCO, in a joint effort with the Government of Uzbekistan, had organized the International Conference on Inter-Religious Dialogue, also held that year. Recently, the First Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was held this year in Kazakhstan. The potential for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation should be harnessed at the international level. For example, inter-religious dialogue and cooperation could be one of the key mechanisms in assisting the United Nations in attaining its goals.
In his report, the Secretary-General indicated that religious organizations could play a role in preventing armed conflict due to the moral authority they carried in their communities, he noted. Religious leaders could also be effective agents for development. It was in that light that his delegation introduced the draft resolution contained in document A/58/L.13, which aimed to examine how inter-religious dialogue and cooperation contributed to the work of the Organization.
ZAHID HAMID (
Pakistan) said the development of a culture of peace was integrally linked to the right of peoples to self-determination. All people, including those living under colonial or other forms of alien domination or foreign occupation, were entitled to exercise their inherent right to self-determination. The attacks of 11 September 2001, and subsequent events, constituted a major setback in the search for global peace. Misunderstanding and suspicion between different faiths and cultures had become accentuated and some had used that to serve their own interests. Ethnicity, religion, culture, language and demeanour, must not be allowed to become a source of divisiveness; the clash of civilizations was a sure recipe for chaos. The indivisibility of the human race must be affirmed. Unity in diversity must be cherished.
Cooperation must be the paradigm for the century, and the promotion of understanding and harmony, among religions and cultures was the indispensable avenue through which, the veil of ignorance, misconception and prejudice could be lifted, he stated. In his address before the Assembly, the President of Pakistan had outlined a concrete strategy to bridge the gulf between Islam and the West. Tolerance, harmony, socio-economic emancipation, human resource development and the peaceful resolution of disputes, were essential ingredients of that strategy, referred to as, “enlightened moderation”. The vision of moderation and cooperation already existed in the common vision and principles of the United Nations. It was necessary, however, to collectively reaffirm the relevance and centrality of the Organization and the primacy of international law.
Under the Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, Pakistan had initiated the proposal for the promotion of religious and cultural understanding, harmony and cooperation. Extensive open-ended informal consultation had been held on Pakistan’s draft resolution with a view to evolving a consensus text. Significant progress had been made toward that objective, and it was the intention of his delegation to present that draft resolution to the Assembly in coming weeks.
