Bahrain calls for promoting peace culture globally

Agencies | New York   

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Kingdom of Bahrain has stressed the importance of the world's recognition of the need to promote the culture of peace, by focusing on the role of dialogue and mediation to prevent conflicts through creating the necessary conditions for resolving disputes in peaceful and sustainable ways, as well as strengthening the role of preventive diplomacy.

The stances were made by the kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Jamal Al-Rowaiei, while addressing the UN General Assembly meeting on the item entitled “The Culture of Peace”, which was held at the UN headquarters here on Wednesday.

The Permanent Representative asserted that the Kingdom, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and supported by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, affirms its pride in its civilisational history and ancient culture, based on tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

He affirmed that Bahrain backs the International Community’s efforts to consolidate global security and peace, out of its belief in the importance of establishing relations among nations and civilisations on the bases of friendship, understanding, dialogue and respect for the other, within the framework of adherence to the teachings of the tolerant Islamic Sharia and international laws, customs and covenants, in addition to commitment to safeguarding human rights and dignity for all without discrimination based on race, gender or religion.

Ambassador Al-Rowaiei referred to the kingdom’s call to the international community to approve an international agreement to criminalise religious, sectarian and racist hate speech in all its forms, as well as to spread a culture peace, understanding and acceptance of others, strengthen the bonds of fraternity and friendship among nations, as well as to integrate and disseminate these values in educational curricula and religious, cultural and sports activities,

He highlighted the world's celebration of the International Day of Conscience every April 5, which was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly through Resolution A/SED/73/329, in recognition of the importance of the global conscience in the concerted global efforts to establish peace and tolerance, save humanity from the scourge of war and conflicts, and renounce violence and hatred, towards a sustainable and secure world where harmony, peaceful coexistence and human fraternity prevail.

He also shed light on the role played by the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence since its establishment in 2018, citing the international initiatives it has launched, and the global conferences for dialogue among religions and cultures it has organised.

In this regard, he highlighted the "Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence", organised by the Global Centre on the sidelines of the visits of His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al Tayeb, Sheikh of Al Azhar Al Sharif, to Bahrain.

He also shed light on the establishment of the "King Hamad International Award for Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence", in addition to many awards launched by the kingdom to serve humanity, support sustainable development, and empower women and youth.