Remarks by Under-Secretary-General Miguel Ángel Moratinos,
High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations,
at the 13th Conference of the Ministers of Culture of the Islamic World:
“Impact of Culture on Socio-Economic Development”
Jeddah, 12 February 2025
Your Highness, Prince Badr bin Abdullah Bin Farhan Al Seoud,
Minister of Culture of Saudi Arabia;
Your Excellency, Mr. Rustam Minnikhanov,
Head of the Republic of Tartarstan;
Your Excellency, Mr. Hussein Taha,
Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation;
Your Excellency, Dr. Salim Al Malik, Director-General of ICESCO;
I warmly thank His Highness Prince Badr bin Abdullah Bin Farhan Al Seoud, Minister of Culture of Saudi Arabia and H.E. Dr. Salim Al Malik, the Director General of ICESCO, for inviting me and for their warm hospitality.
It always gives me great pleasure to be back in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. My last visit was less than a year ago, and I can see again the fast pace of change that is taking place here, especially in terms of culture in all its forms. A culture that builds on Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage and diverse traditions.
I commend the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for such vision that continues to transform Saudi Arabia and solidify its position as a regional and international dynamic hub.
Excellencies,
The culture, or to be more correct, the cultures we embrace as individuals, define who we are, the values we uphold, and the way our mindsets look like. Individuals can and do have many identities because we live in a multicultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multilingual world.
That’s why it is not plausible to imagine a world where cultural and religious diversity are perceived as a threat that must be defeated rather than a richness that should be nurtured.
As you may all know, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations was created to advance the concept of “Many Cultures…One Humanity”. That’s our motto and the premise of our mandate.
Excellencies,
The United Nations was above all created to deliver peace. True peace is much more than the absence of war. But with the fast changing geopolitical landscape, the complexity of today’s geopolitical challenges and the recurrence of old and new conflicts it becomes clear we need to better deliver on the promise of the Charter.
This past year was quite overwhelming for all us considering the turmoil around the world. We have all come to witness the escalating conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Haiti and Sudan — among others, elsewhere around the world. These challenges serve as a stark reminder that we should never take peace for granted.
This year will mark the 26th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
A culture of peace, leveraging intercultural and interreligious dialogue, where universal humanity is recognized across its diversity and conflict between and within Member States is resolved without violence, is central to the founding mission of the United Nations. There has been growing recognition within the United Nations system of the centrality that a culture of peace and dialogue plays in supporting its aims of security, development, and equality for all. Indeed, the pursuit of peace is inextricably linked to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. It is an area of work also positioned to reflect the interlinkages between peace, development, humanitarian work, and human rights.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations strengthens a culture of peace through our cross-sectoral initiatives in the areas of education, youth, women, religious leaders, faith-based organizations, media and migration.
In 2023, we joined hands with the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan and launched the ambitious initiative “Peace for Culture”. I am pleased that our first product of this initiative, “the Young Peacebuilders in Central Asia and the Caucasus”, will be implemented this year. I take this opportunity to thank Mr. Anar Karimov, former Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan, for his collaboration and support as we put this initiative together on the launch pad.
A culture of peace as a dividend of investment — an investment in education, in healthcare, in economic growth, in social progress, and in sustainable development generally.
We must work even harder to cultivate and nurture peace.
This is not an easy task.
We are all challenged today by the virus of hate and discrimination, which continues to spread fragmenting our societies and generating fear and mistrust among communities.
These forces of evil should not undermine our resolve.
Excellencies,
To address the global challenges our world is facing today, it is more imperative than ever to work for a culture of peace, as the essential foundation for global cooperation and action.
That goes far beyond conflict prevention, mediation and resolution — as vital as those efforts remain.
A culture of peace must be human rights-centric. It should be based on addressing inequalities and discrimination based on gender, ethnic origin, religion, culture and disability. It must be based on protecting human dignity for all.
It is never too late to reverse course. Fulfilling goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, “building peaceful, just and inclusive societies,” is more imperative now than ever before. Allow me to reiterate that words like dialogue, tolerance, diversity and respect mean little if not supported by concrete broad range of actions under an A culture of peace should be nurtured through strengthening mutual respect and protecting the dignity of all members of the society regardless of their race, religion , belief or gender. As such, justice, equality and inclusion are prerequisites for advancing peacebuilding.
Let’s recommit to work together to instill the values of diplomacy and dialogue, reconciliation, mediation, justice, inclusion, and equality in resolving any conflict or dispute.