UNESCO Director-General’s Message on the International Day of Peace: Peace Is Built Every Day Through Dialogue, Trust and Human Rights
In his message on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, Dr. Khaled El-Enany, UNESCO Director-General, emphasized that peace is not something that can be achieved once and for all and then taken for granted. He stated that peace is built and strengthened every day through dialogue, trust, human rights and the choices we make as societies.
In his message, Dr. Khaled El-Enany highlighted UNESCO’s more than 80 years of efforts to establish and strengthen the foundations of peace through education, science, culture, freedom of expression and dialogue. He also underscored the importance of dialogue and trust in building peace.
He stated: “Peace is not merely the absence of war; it depends on societies’ ability to resolve differences without resorting to violence, safeguard human rights and human dignity, and open and maintain channels of dialogue, even when tensions escalate.”
The Need to Invest in Institutions, Skills and Connections
The UNESCO Director-General went on to highlight the rise in conflicts, social polarization and mistrust, emphasizing that, under such circumstances, it is more important than ever to invest in the institutions, skills and relationships that enable societies to manage disagreements and differences without resorting to violence and to build a shared future.
According to the message, conflicts, displacement, discrimination, hate speech, setbacks in human rights and deepening social polarization fracture social bonds and erode trust.
On the International Day of Peace, UNESCO calls for greater investment in institutions, skills and relationships that enable societies to identify and manage tensions before they escalate into violence, and to find peaceful ways to resolve them.
El-Enany concluded his message by emphasizing: “Peace is for everyone, everywhere, every day.”
