Antonio Guterres: Diversity must be a source of strength instead of threat
October 13, 2021, 12:05 am

Antonio Guterres: Diversity must be a source of strength instead of threat

Diversity-Faces/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that diversity must be seen as a source of strength instead of threat in search for peace.

He told an open debate of the Security Council on diversity, state-building and the search for peace: "For countries emerging from the horrors of conflict and looking to a better future -- indeed for all countries -- diversity must not be seen as a threat. It is a source of strength."

He said, diversity should be seen as an anchor of peace and stability and a rallying point for every person to contribute to a better future -- for themselves, and for their societies.

Parties to conflict can agree to end hostilities. They can agree to begin the long process of rebuilding a country. And they can even join forces to reconstitute a government. Guterres warned that without including a wide range of diverse voices at every step of this process -- without bringing all people along -- any peace will be short-lived.

He added, long-standing grievances, inequalities, mistrust and social divisions do not simply vanish when the fighting stops. They can easily flare up again. And they can be worsened if people and groups hungry for change do not see their needs and vision for the future being addressed.

To promote inclusion in the process of rebuilding communities and sustaining peace, Guterres emphasized three areas for action.

First, national institutions and laws must work for all people.

This means protecting and promoting human rights, including people's rights to health, education, protection and opportunity. It means implementing policies and laws that protect vulnerable groups, including laws against discrimination based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. And it means working with all partners to develop stronger national capacities that can serve all people equally, he said.

Second, countries should explore ensuring a greater voice to subnational regions.

Countries emerging from years, or even decades, of instability cannot afford to ignore the views of entire segments of their populations and risk fueling future resentments. Governments must find ways to move people forward together, as one, through constant dialogue -- recognizing and respecting differences -- even if this means devolving some areas of authority, he said.

Third, women, young people and the most marginalized must be involved every step of the way.

Building and sustaining peace requires their voices and actions. That's why UN peacekeeping operations and special political missions put a strong emphasis on greater inclusion and meaningful participation of women and young people. The international community must continue encouraging and supporting the full and active participation of women and young people in this journey, he said.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.