General Assembly General Assembly

74th United Nations General Assembly 

 

High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace

 

India Statement

by

Ms Paulomi Tripathi, Counsellor

 

10 September 2020

 

Madam President,

 

At the outset we thank President of the General Assembly for convening this virtual high-level forum.

 

The current pandemic has underscored the interconnectedness and interdependence of the humankind like never before. Yet, we have witnessed that social and political strife have been compounded by the pandemic. There are rising tensions in inter-state relations. We have witnessed an upsurge in violence, bigotry and discrimination during the pandemic.

 

Since the adoption of the UN Declaration and Programme of Action in 1999, culture of peace agenda has provided an effective blueprint for multilateral action to promote solidarity and understanding. Today more than ever before we need to reaffirm our abiding commitment to promote culture of peace.

 

Culture of peace does not merely signify absence of war. It embodies a predisposition towards resolving differences through dialogue and understanding.

 

Unfortunately, we have witnessed another attempt by the delegation of Pakistan to exploit a UN platform for hate speech against India.  This happens at a time when Pakistan continues to foment a ‘culture of violence’ at home and across its borders.

 

Pakistan’s deplorable human rights records and discriminatory treatment of religious and ethnic minorities is a cause of persistent concern for international community. Blasphemy laws are used against religious minorities such as Hindus, Christians and Sikhs, to violate their human rights and dignity. Women and girls remain particularly vulnerable as they are abducted, raped, forcefully converted and married to their violators. The pandemic has aggravated the situation.

Talk of ‘culture of peace’ from the delegation of Pakistan is nothing but a decoy to divert attention from their own shameful records. Before making absurd allegations against India, where equal rights of people of all faiths are guaranteed by the constitution, the delegation of Pakistan must do itself a favour of looking at their own system and records of protecting minorities.

 

Madam President,

 

The pandemic has demonstrated the existential dilemma of an information society. We have been exposed to misinformation and disinformation campaigns which have put lives and livelihoods of millions at risk, divided communities with fake news and doctored videos and undermined the trust in public authorities to tackle the disease. At the same time, lack of access to information continue to stifle key decision making processes and positive social change.

 

We need greater collaboration among states and other stakeholders including technology companies, to stop spread of misinformation and disinformation, and to build strong counter narratives based on reason, science and empathy. We need to bolster access to information to ensure informed decision making at all levels and to empower women and youth.

 

Inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue  between  individuals  and  groups  with  different  backgrounds are key to promoting culture of peace. The UN system, especially UNESCO has played a pioneering role in this. The Alliance of Civilizations (AoC) is a platform for dialogue between people from diverse backgrounds within and between countries. We need to encourage more such cross-cultural engagements to mitigate the hateful narratives that tend to dominate public discourse. 

 

Education plays a pivotal role in the culture of peace project. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the education systems many countries. We must redouble efforts to restore learning opportunities for all, including by utilizing technology in support of remote learning, distance education and online learning. We need harness the power of technology to ensure that pre-existing learning disparities are corrected. Education systems must also infuse the ethos of solidarity and global citizenship among children and youth to prepare us better for future challenges.

 

More than ever before we need to strengthen our resolve to eradicate poverty and hunger, address inequality within and among countries, provide access to universal health coverage and quality education and ensure participation of women and young people in decision making and governance. The international community need to intensify efforts for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and support national efforts to tackle the devastating impacts of the pandemic on economy and society in most fragile countries of the world.

 

Mr. President,

 

India, despite being hit by the pandemic, has assumed the responsibility of helping other countries through humanitarian assistance. We have also extended assistance to fellow developing countries under the rubric of South-South Cooperation to strengthen their capacity to respond to the crisis.

 

India’s own journey towards achieving the SDGs is guided by the motto of inclusivity and greater role for women in leading development efforts.

 

We, in India, understand the importance of promoting dialogues and building alliances between religions, cultures and ethnic groups.  In the same spirit we remain ready to support all efforts to build bridges of understanding across the world to emerge stronger from this crisis and to shape the foundation for a better world.

 

I thank you.