New York: Qatar has reaffirmed support for all initiatives to build bridges between different cultures and societies and said these will have a positive impact on enhancing solidarity, democracy, development and peace in all parts of the world.
This came in Qatar’s statement delivered by Ambassador Faisal bin Abdullah Al Henzab, Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other organisations in Geneva, at a ministerial meeting of UN Alliance of Civilisations Group of Friends in New York on the sidelines of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.
He said the meeting is of great importance in light of circumstances the world is witnessing, which require more efforts to promote global peace, security and stability and ensure co-existence for future generations.
He said the world is experiencing divisions, tensions, instability, violations and abuses of human rights that threaten peace.
Al Henzab highlighted the importance of the role Alliance of Civilisations could play through its creative activities to defuse tensions, bridge the gap between cultural and religious identities, and improve and develop understanding and cooperation among nations to achieve peace.
Qatar pays attention to Alliance of Civilisations as a complement to political and security efforts being exerted by the UN and the international community to prevent conflicts and create appropriate post-conflict environments, he said.
Despite the General Assembly’s proclamation of 2001 as United Nations Year of Dialogue, the world is witnessing many global crises, which undermine the idea of dialogue and threaten international security and peace, he said, adding the world is also experiencing widespread abuse of the international humanitarian law by authoritarian regimes with regard to their own people and terrorist groups.
Al Henzab stressed that Alliance of Civilisations will spare no effort in supporting the international community to prevent such violations, face increasing international challenges, build bridges of understanding among civilisations, promote dialogue among cultures and religions and enhance respect for cultural and religious pluralism.QNA
