CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

STATEMENT

Delivered by AMB. EDUARDO JOSE A. DE VEGA

Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé d’affaires, a.i.

Introducing the Draft Resolution on the “Promotion of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace”

(Document A/68/L.30)

under agenda item 15 on Culture of Peace

Wednesday, 18 December 2013, 10:00 AM

Thank you, Mr President.

The Philippines, together with Pakistan, is again very honored to introduce the draft resolution on the “Promotion of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace”, appearing as document A/68/L.30 under agenda item 15 on the Culture of Peace.

Nine years ago, we resolved to pursue universal peace through the greater understanding of our diversity in religions as well as cultures. It seemed such a daunting task. But on 11 November 2004, this initiative was unanimously adopted as the landmark resolution 59/23 of the General Assembly. The resolution was entitled simply as, “Promotion of interreligious dialogue”. It had five preambular paragraphs, and only three operative paragraphs. Essentially, it affirmed that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constituted important dimensions of the dialogue among civilizations and of the culture of peace.

The resolution opened the door of this body to partnership with civil society in general and the religious sector in particular. Since then, our initiative, our vision, has grown from strength to strength, garnering wider participation and ownership by more and more stakeholders.

Mr. President, allow us to thank the Member States that have traditionally cosponsored and supported this resolution through the years. Allow us, also, to welcome and thank those Member States that are cosponsoring the resolution for the first time. There may be so many and my time is not enough to mention them all. I leave that happy task to the up-to-the minute information possessed by the Secretariat. Thank you.

After three rounds of informal consultations co-facilitated by Pakistan and the Philippines on December 2, 3 and 4, the final text was put to a silence procedure from December 5 to noontime of December 9. The silence was not broken.

Genuine dialogue – of openness and of constructiveness – characterized the consultations. We worked with candor and honesty, yet we also worked with understanding and flexibility. We were animated by the spirit of cooperation. Clearly, this was what the resolution is all about. We listened to each other. We understood and respected where each of us was coming from.

This year’s draft resolution continues to be a well-balanced text. It builds on nearly a decade of experience. Its 17 preambular paragraphs and 18 operative paragraphs benefit not only from the usual technical updates, but also from a broader, more inclusive perspective that would allow us to more widely and more sustainably address our common challenges.

Mr. President, let me take you through some of the most notable features of the draft resolution:

1. It includes technical updates from UNESCO – as the UN lead agency – on a Plan of Action to implement through resolution 67/104.

2. It commends the ideas suggested at the UNESCO High-level Panel on Peace and Dialogue among Cultures held in Paris on 19 November 2012, to help identify areas for practical action in all sectors and levels of society for the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, tolerance, understanding and cooperation.

3. It welcomes the continuing work of the Asia-Europe Meeting or ASEM on interfaith dialogue, in particular the ASEM Vientiane Declaration of 6 November 2012 on interfaith dialogue, and the ASEM High-level International Conference on Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue, which will be held in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation in July 2014.

4. It also welcomes the deepening engagement of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, particularly the 6^th Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations, which will be held in Bali, Indonesia in August 2014.

5. It welcomes the work of the Anna Lindh Foundation in contributing to the dialogue process.

6. It refers to beliefs, in addition to cultures, religions and faiths, in order to discuss common issues and objectives and, in so doing, reach a broader audience and engender a wider ownership of the dialogue.

7. It acknowledges that individuals can make a positive contribution to the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

8. Finally, we rearranged a few preambular and operative paragraphs with already agreed language from previous years’ resolutions, moving the general ones to the beginning.

Mr. President, in addition to the participating Member States, we also wish to thank participating Observer Missions like the Holy See and the representatives of intergovernmental organizations like the European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, for their very wise and valuable contributions.

Thank you, too, to the Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the General Assembly Affairs Branch, DGACM, for the technical assistance they have extended.

I cannot overemphasize the value of what we continue to do in promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and how that dialogue serves as the foundation for a just and lasting peace. Without peace, there can be no sustainable development.

For that reason, I speak for the Philippines and perhaps for other Member States that also cosponsor and support Iran’s draft resolution on “A World against Violence and Violent Extremism or WAVE, as well as the draft resolution of Bangladesh on a Culture of Peace. Our three initiatives complement and build on each other.  

Let me end by paying tribute to the late President Nelson Mandela. Madiba embodied the highest values of the United Nations. By his life and example, Madiba reminded us that education is the most powerful tool in promoting peace through interreligious and intercultural dialogue. He said, and I quote:

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

On behalf of Pakistan and the other co-sponsors, I have the distinct honor of commending this draft resolution for your adoption.

Thank you, Mr. President.