Statement by
the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations,
the Secretary General of Religions for Peace, and
the President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network
Call for Peace, the End of Wars, and Respect for International Law
Gathered in Gernika, Spain, and across the planet, we believe that peace is the necessary aim of rational persons everywhere. Today’s wars – in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas – are all solvable through dialogue, justice, international law, and the principle of collective security, meaning that the security of all parties to a conflict is recognized and secured. Poverty, oppression, and exploitation fuel conflicts. We commit to sustainable development as a bulwark of peace.
Seekers of peace are found across persons of all societies, races, ethnicities, and religions. There is no clash of civilizations, only the machinations of demagogues to incite hatred and wars. Humanity can rise above atavistic violence. We stand for dialogue and diplomacy as the true and urgent route to lasting peace.
Peace is the resolution of political conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. We, the Alliance for Peace, call on political, academic, business, and civil society leaders to stop the spiral of violence that has swept the world, push the Doomsday Clock away from midnight, and ensure that the fruits of human knowledge and technological advances are for peaceful and sustainable development and not for war.
We stand in Solidarity and extend our Compassion to all victims of war, the millions scarred and maimed by conflicts, the millions uprooted from their homes and the millions killed by violence.
We call on all fellow citizens to adhere to Ten Principles for Peace:
Pursue Diplomacy. Wars do not end on the battlefield, but precious lives do. Wars end at the negotiating table, with the resolution of political conflicts. There is never an excuse for breaking off diplomatic efforts for peace. It is never too early or too late to negotiate.
Support the UN Charter. The UN Charter was adopted “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,” and calls on the nations of the world “to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours; to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security; to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest; and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples.”
Find Unity in Diversity. When speaking of the diversity of nations and cultures, President John F. Kennedy stated, “If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can make the world safe for diversity. For in the final analysis, we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s futures. And we are all mortal.”
Promote Sustainable Development. Wars emerge from the deprivations of the poor, the arrogance of the rich, and the destruction of nature by those who blindly pursue wealth above morality. Peace is achieved by sustainable development that fulfills the economic, social, and environmental needs of people everywhere.
Support the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The world is 89 seconds to midnight according to the Doomsday Clock. We are at the edge of annihilation by the nuclear weapons that we have ourselves created. Our survival now depends on the prohibition of the instruments of our collective suicide.
End the Use of Unilateral Coercive Measures (Sanctions). The UN Charter, Article II, Section 4, holds that “all Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.” The UN General Assembly has repeatedly noted that unilateral coercive measures (sanctions) constitute the use of force in violation of the Charter.
Channel Cuts in Military Spending to a Fund for Sustainable Development. Sixty years ago, Pope Paul VI called on the world powers to redirect their military outlays to a “world fund to relieve the needs of impoverished peoples.” We call on the world’s major arms spenders to re-channel their wasteful outlays to a Fund for Sustainable Development.
Encourages the Security Council reform to improve the effectiveness and representativeness of the Council, including by redressing the historical underrepresentation of Africa as a priority and to ensure the full representation and voice of Asia and Latin America in decision making processes on global peace-making and peacekeeping.
Strengthen the UN General Assembly. A vibrant UN General Assembly is key to a just and effective multilateralism in which all regions, peoples, and civilizations share in building our common future.
Support the Politics of Peace. Politicians everywhere must hear the words of their own citizens. We want and demand peace, for the common good and for our common survival. We call on the UN Security Council to intensify its work to preserve the peace and to resist and stop the unilateral acts of war by any nation. We call on all governments and citizens to support the UN institutions of justice – the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court – as vital lifelines to the global rule of law.
Finally, we welcome the proclamation of 2025 as The International Year of Peace and Trust as per the United Nations General Assembly resolution 78/266 which was proposed by Turkmenistan, underlining that the International Year of Peace and Trust constitutes a means of mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote peace and trust among nations based on political dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation and respect of the dignity of every human life in order to build sustainable peace, solidarity and harmony in the whole world.