Remarks by H.E. Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos,
Under-Secretary-General, High Representative
for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
at the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue
High-Level Meeting of International Organizations
Excellencies,
Distinguished Heads of International Organizations,
In this morning opening session, several distinguished speakers highlighted the state of world affairs and the complexity of the global challenges we are facing today.
It’s a world roiled with raging wars, new and unresolved conflicts, deepening inequalities, mistrust in global governance and most importantly the absence of moral values that makes a human being “humane”.
Impunity, double standards and disrespect for international law undermines peace and security.
The United Nations was created to achieve peace.
But we have to agree that one of the main organs of the United Nations is paralyzed. It has been deadlocked and continues to be deadlocked by its worst-ever geopolitical divisions.
The confluence of these challenges, in addition to the climate crisis, and other forms of environmental degradation, the rising geopolitical tensions and conflicts, and the erosion of global norms and institutions, is jeopardizing the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Therefore, effective transformations, a networked multilateralism and demonstrating leadership are required to reverse course.
We need a new social contract based on justice, inclusion and dignity. This is one of the main elements in the Secretary-General’ Report Our Common Agenda.
Seventy-seven years ago, the Charter of the United Nations already articulated a clear role for global-regional partnerships underpinning international cooperation. Today, these partnerships are even more vital to ensure that the multilateral system can address multiple complex and overlapping challenges.
Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations is critical to maintaining international peace and security, promoting and protecting human rights and implementing the sustainable development agenda.
This cooperation, foreseen in the Charter of the United Nations, has become more advanced and multi-layered over the past decade and is vital to a multilateral system that must rise to address multiple complex and overlapping challenges, from the deteriorating peace and security environment to climate change, technological disruption, human displacement and the ongoing global food and energy crisis.
I wish to recall the declaration on the commemoration of the seventyfifth anniversary of the United Nations adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 75/1, Heads of State and Government recognized that the interconnected nature of these challenges can be addressed only through reinvigorated multilateralism.
They stated unambiguously that multilateralism is not an option but a necessity as the international community builds back better for a more equal, more resilient and more sustainable world.
In this context, The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations continues to strengthen its partnerships and broaden the scope of its collaboration with regional and international organizations , members of UNAOC Group of Friends. We are convinced that a multi-stakeholder approach is ideal and imperative to address today’s multi-faceted challenges.
I thank you.