Today we have received the joint statement of United nations Alliance of Civilizations - the aim of which to overcome the prejudice, misperceptions and social polarization. The Alliance was proposed in 2005 at the 59th GA session of the United Nations by the Spanish primer minister and it was co-sponsored by the prime minister of Turkey. It's four main areas of activity are: media, youth, education and migration and integration. It also creates bound between Eastern Islamic world and West.
However this years representatives of these two states decided to follow the principles and guidance of the Alliance in order to achieve peace and security, sustainable development and respect of human rights. Latter is one of the main goals that they want to implement, together with minority rights and right to development. Their strategy towards peaceful world is based on intercultural dialogue and prevention of discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. States are also of the opinion that it is important to combat threats such as the use of extremist narratives, which is understandable since both Turkey and Spain have experienced violence, where extremist movements took a part. Last but not least they stressed that the only possible way to tackle that issue is to cooperate on multilateral level.
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Over the last few years, in times of historical changes and unprecedented political, economic, social and cultural challenges, news from various parts of the world has been dominated by stories of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, gender and many other differences, xenophobia and related intolerance, hate speech and growing tensions around issues that lie at the heart of relations between cultures and religions. Disseminated globally, some of these local stories can however spur extremism and polarization throughout the world and create added tensions among communities and societies. Sadly, in some societies, culture is perceived as source of division, instead of a path to dialogue and human solidarity. In some regions minorities are victims of atrocities including mass killings, only because they belong to different cultures. Holy books are burned and religious symbols are defamed.
These are challenges threatening our efforts to achieve our shared goals of peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. To remain silent would be to accept the banality of hate speech and incitement to hatred. We have to be able to act against common threats such as the use of extremist narratives to inflame opinion and cause unrest and violence.
This is precisely the aim of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations launched in 2005 by Prime Ministers of Spain and Turkey. Eight years later, all these increased signs of rising discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance show how much this initiative is a priority in order to achieve cohesion and inclusive societies, as well as security and peace among peoples and nations.
To this end one of the main goals of the Alliance is to strengthen the capacity of all countries to implement the principles and practices of democracy and respect for human rights, including minority rights and the right to development. Through promotion of intercultural dialogue and understanding we are building a path to reduce global conflicts. Through international cooperation we contribute to the efforts of the United Nations and address the challenges facing humanity today, particularly when they are rooted in identity and cultural underpinnings. Under the auspices of the United Nations initiatives and programs we will continue to promote dialogue, tolerance and understanding among civilizations, cultures, peoples and religions, and to promote mutual respect for and prevent the defamation of religions, religious values, beliefs and cultures. The Alliance has an important mediating role in the many conflicts where culture or religion come into play.
It is urgent that everyone work together to address hatred, dispel stereotypes, and help create the necessary conditions to improve understanding among peoples across cultures and religions and, in the process, to help counter the forces that fuel polarisation and extremism.
But the Alliance cannot implement its goals alone. It is on the way to strengthen its active role of and strives to ensure full interaction and cooperation with individual states, other components of the UN system and is reaching out for partnership with other international, regional and sub-regional organizations.
Jasmina Eminić
Permanent representative of the Kingdom of Spain to the United Nations
Sara Jud
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Turkey to the United Nations
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