UN chief calls for ‘alliance of peace’ on International Day of Human Fraternity

UN chief calls for 'alliance of peace' on International Day of Human Fraternity

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 04 (APP):United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a renewed commitment to forge an “alliance of peace” amid a surge in hate speech, sectarianism and strife, in a message marking the International Day of Human Fraternity on Saturday.

The UN chief said that the Day celebrates the values that “are the glue that hold our human family together” – compassion, religious understanding, and mutual respect.

“These values underwrite peace, yet all over the world, they are being eroded by deepening divides, widening inequalities and growing despair and by surging hate speech, sectarianism and strife,” he continued.

Examples of religious extremism and intolerance exist in all societies and among all faiths, he said, adding that it is “the duty of religious leaders everywhere to prevent instrumentalization of hatred, and defuse extremism amidst their followers.”

The Secretary-General pointed to a model for interfaith harmony and human solidarity: the declaration “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”, co-authored by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El Tayeb, in 2019.

“Let us all take inspiration and renew our commitment to stand together as one human family,” he said. “Together, let us build an alliance of peace, rich in diversity, equal in dignity and rights, united in solidarity.”

In 2021, UN General Assembly resolution adopted a resolution designating 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity. Co-sponsored by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, the resolution expressed deep concern at acts advocating religious hatred, especially at a time when the world confronted the COVID-19 pandemic and its related crises.

In adopting the resolution, Member States also recognized the valuable contribution of people of all religions or beliefs to humanity and the contribution that dialogue among all religious groups can make towards an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind.

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