DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY, SPREAD OF VALUES,

IN REMARKS TO CULTURE OF PEACE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

 

Following is the text of Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro’s remarks at the Culture of Peace New Year celebration in New York, yesterday, 22 February:

I am delighted to join you for today’s celebration, and to convey the Secretary-General’s greetings to everyone.  I know that he had hoped to be here in person to mark this occasion, but official travels have kept him away from New York this week.

Let me begin by wishing all of you a very happy Chinese Lunar New Year, and by welcoming to the United Nations all the performers who have travelled from different parts of the world to enliven this occasion.  Let me also thank His Excellency Ambassador Chowdhury for hosting this event, and for his years of service to the cause of peace, here at the United Nations and beyond.

As an African and as a mother, the ideals behind the International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World hold deep significance for me.  Today, it seems particularly appropriate that I -- one of the UN’s newest staff members -- should be among all of you to mark the UN’s efforts to build a culture of peace.

Over the years, it has become clear to everyone in our Organization that our work to end war must reach well beyond the mere absence of conflict.  Peacekeepers and preventive diplomacy remain essential tools in our efforts to silence guns and implement ceasefires.  But, by themselves, they are not enough to counter humanity’s worst instincts.

Instead, the search for a durable and enduring peace demands action at a deeper, more profound level.  It requires the spread of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and embrace tolerance, justice and respect for human rights.  In short, it requires a culture of peace.

Of course, attaining such peace is a daunting challenge.  Often, it proves a painfully slow process; one that requires action at multiple levels and by myriad actors.  Yet, it remains a goal well worth pursuing.

We need only look to the suffering inflicted by conflicts and violence on the world’s children to understand what lies at stake.  The young suffer enormous harm in countless wars that are never of their making.  Globally, millions of children are displaced from their homes due to conflict.  They are deprived, not only of education and health care, but also of the opportunity to become productive members of society.  Many are unwittingly caught up in the vicious cycle of conflict, drafted as child soldiers and trained to fire AK-47s even before they have learned to read or write.

Creating a peaceful world for the next generation is the driving force behind the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence.  I believe that such a world is attainable.  It requires collective effort and the teaching of tolerance and coexistence at all levels within our respective societies.  And it requires that we keep the promises captured in the Millennium Declaration.  By meeting the goals that we have already set, we can create a world fit for our children.  A world that is at peace, where no child is forced to fight or flee, and where all children can grow and thrive.

On this day, I hope you will join me in reaffirming your commitment to achieving this vision.  Together, we can make a difference.  Together, we can create a culture of peace and non-violence.

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For information media • not an official record