Pakistan urges global unity to tackle world’s multiple crises as UN marks int’l Day of Nowruz

Pakistan urges global unity to tackle world's multiple crises as UN marks int'l Day of Nowruz

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 21 (APP):Pakistan has called for global unity to address a host of challenges facing the world, including poverty, inequality, extremism, conflict, climate change and increasing natural disasters, saying Nowruz marks a day to embrace new beginnings towards peace and prosperity.

“Nowruz is a festival of change.,” Ambassador Munir Akram told a special ceremony at the U.N. Headquarters in New York to mark International Day of Nowruz.

“We need to embrace change and be open to new ideas and new perspectives; It is the only way we can move forward and tackle the problems that the world faces today,” the Pakistani envoy said.

Pakistan urges global unity to tackle world's multiple crises as UN marks int'l Day of Nowruz

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the General Assembly, Casaba Korosi, made opening remarks at the event followed by the ambassadors of the countries sponsoring the ceremony –Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Highlighting Nowruz’s message, Ambassador Munir Akram said, “This day is a reaffirmation of our shared humanity and our desire to come together in the spirit of brotherhood.”

Nowruz festival, he said, represents a unique blend of cultural, social and environmental elements that are deeply linked to the history of civilization in Pakistan, pointing out its observance in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly along the Afghan border, and across Balochistan.

“Pakistan greatly values this Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a cultural tradition that promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families as well as reconciliation and neighborliness, thus contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and different communities.

“As a culturally diverse nation, Pakistan has always stressed the importance of the processes of mutual cultural enrichment, and the necessity of promoting civilizational exchanges which facilitate the development of international cooperation,” the Pakistani envoy added, citing the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) as part of the common heritage.

“Nowruz is not just a day of celebration, but it is a day of reflection as well,” Ambassador Akram said, pointing to the many challenge confronting the world.

“We live in a world where poverty, hunger, inequality, extremism, conflict and violence, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and natural disasters continue to ravage societies and prevent millions of people from living a normal life.

“The world needs come together and find ways to mitigate the impact of these challenges, and to ensure that future generations inherit a world that is healthy and habitable,” Ambassador Akram added.

An estimated 300 million people worldwide celebrate Nowruz, which is also inscribed on the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Guterres, the UN chief, said in his message, “We can only move forward together, as one: To overcome the scourge of war and build sustaining peace. To promote mutual respect and understanding. To reaffirm human rights and dignity. To rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), reduce inequalities and ensure that global financial structures work for all. To safeguard our planet, halt global warming and protect communities.”

That spirit of renewal and cooperation, he said, also guided the work on ‘Our Common Agenda’ and the efforts to revitalize multilateralism.
The SDG Summit in September and the Summit of the Future in 2024 will be key moments to come together around solutions,” the secretary-general said.

“Let us mark this new beginning by renewing our pledge for a peaceful and sustainable world and our promise to leave no one behind,” he added.

In his message for the Day, read out by his senior side, Korosi, the General Assembly President, said Nowruz stands as an inspiration to cherish the link between the human being and nature. To that end, the President urged the international community to make this a time to reaffirm its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

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