Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, for inviting me to this event today whose subject is indeed very timely and a matter of urgent importance for all of us to deal with.  

You were 16 countries when you met last year but you now have more than doubled that number at this luncheon because of the initiative’s powerful message as you just did explain.

 I understand that about 50 States are represented here today not to mention, of course, the United Nations agencies, particularly UNESCO, which has a very crucial role in this area, and representatives from civil society.  

The Forum is a model of cooperation and a model to mobilize cooperation on a very important issue. I also think it fits very well into other efforts that have been going on.

 First is the Declaration and the Program of Action on the Culture of Peace in which the Ambassador of Bangladesh has played a crucial role and on which we worked together last fall. Second, I have also worked very closely with the Ambassadors of Turkey and Spain on their initiative on Alliance of Civilizations, which is very timely and very much high up on the agenda.  And third, there is of course the Global Agenda for Dialogue among Civilizations of the General Assembly with which many of us are involved.  

It is of course obvious that we live in an age of turmoil; we live in an age when religious and ethnic divisions are evident and when these divisions are exploited by certain groups to mar our cooperation and our respect for each, which should not be the case. But I think we need to be aware of this dangerous situation. All initiatives that now today aim at bringing us together must be commended and supported. We run a grave risk in today’s world if we allow these divisions to grow deeper and if we bring about the risks and gaps that are not supposed to be here with us as human beings.  

I was very proud that the Human Rights Council was established by all of you last week. I also believe that the establishment of the Human Rights Council sent a very powerful message, which your Forum also stands for. Mr. Secretary, what your initiative is all about is something that is also shared by the General Assembly of the United Nations.  

May I read out preambular paragraph 7 of the resolution creating the Human Rights Council.  The resolution was under negotiation as a whole but there was consensus and no voice of criticism ever raised when that text of preambular paragraph 7 came out. Let us listen to its diplomatic poetry:

 “Confirming the need for all States to continue international efforts to enhance dialogue and broaden understanding among civilizations, cultures and religions and emphasizing that States, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, religious bodies and the media have an important role to play in promoting tolerance, respect for, and freedom of religion and belief. “ 

This is the message from all of us in the United Nations to the world. We all stand behind that message. We have to actualize that in practical measures right now, and in practical ways from now on and in all areas. 

I remember when I read the book of Samuel Huntington (on the Clash of Civilizations) in the mid-70s, I thought that it was an exaggerated theory. I hate to say now, when I think back, that I should have taken it more seriously. Now, we have to make sure that we will not fall in the same trap, that we are not being provoked, that we should stand for respect for each other, that we stand for tolerance, and that also we increase knowledge and understanding of each other.  

Recent sad events have shown the great lack of knowledge about each other. We really need to work very much harder on this. UNESCO has a very important role here, but I think all of us, nations, governments, UN system, parliaments, non-governmental organizations, have each a role to play.  

Sometimes I ask myself whether it would not be a great idea if in order to get a university degree, the student would have to spend half a year abroad, particularly under another culture or another religious environment, because when you meet people who have lived abroad, there is something with them all their lives and it is that natural respect for other cultures and other religions.  

When I give lectures about diplomacy, what I say is diplomacy is not the answer to the question “what” but to the question “how.” And when my audience asked me what is the “how,” I replied that diplomacy is first and foremost the cultivation of respect, understanding and knowledge about other countries’ history and religions.  With that a diplomat gets a better level of appreciation of the world.  

I therefore commend all of you so warmly for the launching of the Tripartite Forum on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace. I think it is a wonderful initiative that needs to be supported by all.  There are also other initiatives that we can continue to support because we have a very important role in transforming cooperation from our negotiation halls to the realities out there in the field, in the streets, in mosques, churches, synagogues and temples.  

We also have an important mission to peoples all around the world by propagating this message of respect for cultures and religions by all and for all.   

Thank you and if I depart early it is not a demonstration of lack of interest in this event but because my SAS flight does not wait even for the President of the General Assembly.  

Thank you.