Shanghai, China – June 18, 2014
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Indeed, it is a pleasure and honor for me to return once again to one of my favorite cities in the world, Shanghai, to address you. I am always moved by the energy of this place.
I also find that this particular gathering, the World Cultural Forum, represents the great diversity of this city with the wide range of actors it convenes: from media to academia to civil society and many others from around the world.
It bears mention that convening such a group is no small achievement. As High Representative of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, an organization committed to advancing mutual respect understanding across communities and cultures, I know that no dialogue can truly work or be meaningful unless we take into account the participation and concerns of all stakeholders as much as possible. Of course our success also depends on the political will of our leadership to make what may, at first, be difficult possible.
Our conversation today on cultural exchange and promoting understanding of others to reduce misunderstanding and strengthen trust is a timely one.
The world that you and I inhabit today is fundamentally different from that of our parents. Never before have people been able to access so much information so quickly. But more information does not always mean better understanding.
We must bear in mind that it takes effort to move from knowledge to kindness, from insight to empathy, from awareness to action. The Confucian (كنفيوشن) philosophy, and in particular the concept of “Ren”, also teaches us this very point. These are the values we need in the world. Thus, I welcome China’s initiative and foresight in establishing Confucius (كنفيوشوس) Institutes around the world to advance such values.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Promoting dialogue and understanding has long been considered a form of “soft power” because it bears the possibility to bring peaceful settlement, without military action. Our situation as a global community points to many reasons for why, in this time, we desperately need more dialogue.
More than half the world’s population is under the age of 25. That is more than at any other time in history. Given the kind of discrepancies (ديسكربنسيز) in opportunity and employment across countries, migration is taking place at unprecedented levels and is expected to double in the years ahead.
There are also a number of crisis situations that require our urgent attention. The Central African Republic, though not initially an inter religious conflict, has become the site of horrific fighting between Christians and Muslims. A power struggle in South Sudan has displaced more than 1.2 million people and exposed the country to the possibility of famine. In Syria, in the fourth year of a worsening conflict, more than 150,000 have been killed; 3 million have left the country; and at least half the population – more than 9 million human beings – have been affected. In Myanmar, identity-based tensions and violence continue. In the Middle East, the unsettled question of Palestine remains an obstacle in the path toward a comprehensive and just peace.
Globally, too, there are longer-term risks and trends. Key resources – energy, food, land, water, clean air – are in progressively shorter supply. The impacts of climate change are being felt already and will affect generations to come.
Inequality and intolerance are also on the rise. Injustice is prevalent, and in many contexts, this trend aggravates insecurity. Women do not yet enjoy their equal rights. Young people are looking for hope and very often for jobs.
While these challenges seem daunting and almost impossible, I know of a country that has fought impossible odds to see success and to help its people; a country that has achieved an unimaginable feat in the last three decades that no economist thought was possible: and that country is China.
As the World Bank attests, across China, there were over 400 million fewer people living in extreme poverty in 2001 than 20 years previously. By 2001 alone, China had met the foremost of the Millennium Development Goals — to reduce the 1990 incidence of poverty by half — and it had done so 14 years ahead of the 2015 target date for the developing world as a whole.
No country in human history has achieved such a miracle. China teaches us that with the right approach, we can indeed face the challenges before us as a global community.
As far as the future is concerned, my view is that China’s role in the world rests on three interconnected pillars.
First, continuing South-South cooperation. Drawing from my experience as former President of the UN High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation and as former Chair of the G77 and China, I know that China presents us with an extraordinary model of cooperative development. In the African continent alone, China has delivered cooperative development projects to the tune of 50 billion dollars.
I would like to emphasize that in this area, China has a very special role to play, as the country is a living, breathing example to all developing economies as to what is possible.
Second, expanding Multilateralism. The world is now looking to China to play a greater role in advancing peacebuilding and conflict resolution, pushing forward environmental goals and research, and furthering development objectives.
The United Nations needs a China that is more vocal and more active on the world stage. It is now up to China to take the place to which it rightly belongs. The UN Alliance of Civilizations, for one, is ready to welcome China’s active involvement in all of its four main areas of activity: youth, media, education, and migration.
The third pillar should be opening more avenues for cross-cultural exchange. The fact is that alongside economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection, culture is also an engine of sustainable development. Research in the area of culture and development bears this out.
Perhaps the future is one where all three pillars can feed into one another creating a virtuous cycle. As an example, China can, as part of it model of cooperative development, push the creative economies of its partner nations.
I welcome China’s tremendous progress in advancing cultural exchanges around the world through its myriad (ميرياد) initiatives. I believe it is now time to take things to the next level. Let us not forget that the creative economy is also a major way to tackle the persistent issue of youth unemployment. This is a big part of why upon assuming my role as the High Representative for the Alliance, I immediately established sports, music, and arts as additional areas of focus for the Alliance’s work, alongside the main four ones.
In conclusion, through continued South-South cooperation, increased multilateralism, and greater cross-cultural exchanges, China will augment its already substantial global role and assume its rightful place in the international community. Moreover, it will do so in a way that serves both the interests of this country and the world at a critical time. As head of the organization, I can assure you that the UN Alliance of Civilizations is an open and ready partner to accompany China along its path to continued influence and greater success. Thank you.