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and the foundations for collective security and well-being, and peace. It is important to show the United Nations
and recognizing that development, peace and security and these good practices/examples promoted by the different
human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.” permanent observers in the Geneva context and beyond.

Is education the only solution? Another cross regional initiatives taking shape in Geneva is the
I don’t think so. Education is an important tool to promote promotion of the topic “women, peace and multilateralism”
peace, but it is insufficient if it is not accompanied by led by the Kingdoms of Jordan and Spain, EU and NAM. At
other policies and actions. In this sense, the Sustainable the June session of the Human Rights Council, a joint oral
Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and statement was delivered with the support of 70 states. Since
sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges the beginning of the process, both UNESCO, UN-Women
we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, and UPEACE have provided a support in terms of both
climate change, environmental degradation, peace and advice and advocacy.
justice. The 17 Goals are all interconnected, and in order to
leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them We need to use all the technical and political spaces offered by
all by 2030. United Nations in Geneva to promote the positive notion of
peace. The forthcoming summit of the Group of Twenty (G-
In the field of education, we should recall the importance of 20) in November 2020 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) will allow us
promoting Holocaust education among the new generations. to advance on concrete peace action in the Arab region. As
While most Holocaust education centers have focused on the a member of G-20, the European Union is well positioned to
genocide committed against Jews by the Nazis, a growing show the world that integration, mediation and prevention
number have expanded their mission and programming to contribute to the reinforcement of peace policies in a region
include the murder of other groups, such as the Armenian, plagued by conflicts and instability. The contribution of
Rwandan and Bosnian people. To teach about the particularity UNESCO and UPEACE to this process is instrumental,
of the Holocaust is an opportunity to teach about the nature because through education and culture – among others
and dynamics of mass atrocity crimes (i.e. genocide, crimes things – the region will transition from a culture of violence
against humanity and war crimes). to a culture of peace and prevention.

Finally Mr Ambassador, if you have a message to our readers In the early years of the twenty-first century, war fatalities have
what would that be? progressively dropped compared to the last century. Over the
My message to your readers is that consensus has always been long term, peace movements have contributed greatly to the
the norm and tendency not only in international relations, emergence of new norms that delegitimise war and promote
but in the United Nations as well. For important matters the value of peace. Fewer inter/intra state wars are starting,
affecting the life of millions of people, the United Nations, more are ending, and those that remain are smaller and more
including its multiple entities and bodies, still works on localized than in past years. It follows that we should stress
the basis of multilateralism with the purpose of reaching the importance of peace and the possibility of resolving our
important consensual decisions. This highest aspiration can conflicts in ways other than violence.
be realized only if all member states and other stakeholders Today the obligation of the international community is to
operate by the unwritten United Nations rule and tendency hear the voice of the voiceless, which strongly demands the
of consensus and dialogue. right to live in a world free of wars and conflicts, in which
their rights and human dignity are fully respected. It follows
In this sense, I would like also to inform you that within that, now that we are well into the twenty-first century, many
the context of General Assembly Resolution 73/127 on human rights organisations, peace activists, citizens and
Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, the different governments strongly demand the adoption of policies aimed at
permanent observers to the United Nations Office in Geneva, preventing wars and conflicts, and the United Nations should
led by the European Union and the Organization of the provide an effective response.
Islamic Cooperation, with our support, have created a group
of observers aimed at promoting multilateralism, diplomacy

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