Statement by H.E. Mohan Pieris,  PRUN of Sri Lanka
at the follow up to the declaration and Programme of Action
on a Culture of Peace – 02 May 2024- General Assembly

Mr. President

Thank you for giving me the floor.

We meet here today at the important juncture of the 25th anniversary of the historic resolution 53/243 whereby the Declaration and Programme of Action of the Culture of Peace was adopted. This important milestone provides us the impetus to revisit the references made by the said resolution to the words of the  UNESCO Constitution; “since the wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”, and to reflect on what the world has achieved and how the world should create the roadmap for the coming years. Today, we are happy to be a part of the process where the forward-looking follow-up to the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace will be adopted in the General Assembly by consensus.

As per the very rationale of the declaration and the Programme of Action of the Culture of  Peace; peace is not the only the absence of conflict. It requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation. Likewise, peacebuilding requires a step beyond that to discourage all forms that create conflicts. This includes setting up the socio-economic infrastructure that is necessary to manage conflicts peacefully, underpinning the economic development. Additionally, the peacebuilders should be able to manage the post-trauma carefully, while strengthening the process of transnational justice and strengthening the civil society organizations.

Mr. President,

The transition from a culture of war to a culture of peace requires the transformation of individual behavior as well as institutional practices. Learning to live in peace and harmony is a long-term process, and begins with the development of inner peace and the nurturing of peaceful citizens, and nurturing attitudes that promote the expansion and integration of peaceful principles. Education and awareness-raising play a key role in this process.

It is against this backdrop that we witness the proliferation of violence and spread of armed conflicts across the globe. While the spillover impacts of the scourge of war are felt worldwide, the existing practices of discrimination and intolerance, including those based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, access to property, disability, birth or other statuses continue and have exacerbated with the impact of the pandemic which we witnessed during the past years.

Mr. President,

In the above context, my delegation firmly believes that the set of values, attitudes, traditions, modes of behavior and the ways of life conducive to the promotion of peace among individuals, groups and nations should be enshrined in our journey towards realizing our common goals.
 
Promoting a culture of peace involves addressing the root causes of conflict, promoting dialogue and reconciliation, and fostering sustainable development and cooperation. It emphasizes the importance of education, communication, and participation in building peaceful and inclusive societies.

My own country, Sri Lanka, having had 12,000 former combatants and 594 child soldiers at the end of the conflict which ended in 2009, has immense experience in the subject of inclusion for advancing peacebuilding in the last few years.  Our post-conflict reconciliation process began with the rehabilitation of all former combatants including child soldiers, a comprehensive mine clearing programme and resettling the IDPs. We were able to ensure the creation of stability, restoration of state institutions and addressing the socio-economic dimensions of the conflict at local and international levels, in keeping with agreed norms and standards, in addition to restoring key functions to generate basic public goods to assemblance of legitimacy and rule of law. Towards this endeavor, we had successful contributions from the established domestic independent mechanisms. While successes are important it is important to keep in mind that peacebuilding is an ongoing process that has to be nurtured carefully to achieve desired results.

Mr. President,

The follow-up resolution that we adopt today at this assembly by consensus should be a clarion call to encourage a culture of peace beyond borders. My delegation is ready to share our own experiences in this subject and strengthen and solidify what has been envisioned by the declaration and the programme of action of the Culture of Peace. We remain hopeful that follow up to the declaration and programme of action of the Culture of Peace would provide impetus to realize our common aspirations during this turbulent times.

I thank you!