New York, The Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the UN in New York held an event on the occasion of the International Day of Conscience, observed every April 5, with the participation of Ambassador Dennis Francis, the UN General Assembly President.
Addressing the event, Ambassador Jamal Fares Al-Rowaiei, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations, affirmed that under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the kingdom has built on its rich cultural heritage and history as a country that embraces various cultures and traditions that live in peace and harmony to become a leading model in the region in promoting the culture of peace, dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
He indicated that the United Nations had proclaimed the International Day of Conscience in response to the initiative of the late His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Sal
man Al Khalifa.
He asserted that Bahrain has a rich record of similar regional and international initiatives, including the launch of the ‘Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration’ to promote religious tolerance and freedoms, the establishment of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, and the launch of the King Hamad Chair for Inter-faith Dialogue and Peaceful Co-existence at the University of Sapienza in Italy, in addition to the humanitarian efforts of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation.
The Permanent Representative also highlighted HM the King’s launch of the ‘Isa Award for Service to Humanity’ in 2009, which is as a source of inspiration for young people around the world to come up with innovative ways to change the world and play their role in serving humanity.
He also shed light on the launch of the ‘King Hamad Award for Peaceful Coexistence’, announced during the opening of the ‘Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence”, held in November 2022, in the presence of His Holiness
Pope Francis and His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al Tayeb, Shaikh of Al Azhar Al Sharif, in November 2022.
He stressed that the ongoing conflicts and challenges require awakening conscience and a stronger sense of shared responsibility, as there is a risk of undermining confidence in human solidarity due to double standards and the rise of racism and hate speech.
Ambassador Al-Rowaiei renewed the Kingdom’s firm stance calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, facilitating the unimpeded flow of humanitarian, relief and medical aid to civilians, as well as enhancing their protection in the entire Strip, and rejecting their forced displacement from their lands, based on its commitment to the principles of international law. and international humanitarian law.
Bahrain’s Permanent Representative to the UN also called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in ending the current catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and reviving the peace process by granting the Pal
estinian people their legitimate right to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the two-state solution, the Arab Peace Initiative, and international legitimacy resolutions.
The UN General Assembly President, in his statement, expressed his deep appreciation to the Kingdom for organising this event, which symbolises its active and commendable efforts to promote a culture of peace at the international level, which is consistent with the priorities of his UNGA presidency, and in particular, the priority for peace.
Ambassador Dennis Francis stressed the importance of mutual respect, understanding, solidarity, dialogue, tolerance, cooperation and, most importantly, respect for human rights.
He also emphasised the importance of continuous concerted efforts to promote dialogue among cultures and religions, reject and end the harmful and destructive psychology of hatred, and remove discrimination from every aspect of human interaction, ensuring sustainable develop
ment for all peoples.
Nihal Saad also addressed the event on behalf of Miguel Ángel Moratinos, the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC). She highlighted the escalation of conflicts in hot spots around the world despite the UN’s celebration of the International Day of Conscience.
She emphasised that maintaining and building global peace requires participation, interaction, and respect for cultural and religious diversity, highlighting the UNAOC’s efforts to promote dialogue and transform conflicts into constructive opportunities for cooperation and synergy, especially through the United Nations Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2019.
Permanent representatives or their deputies, as well as the representatives of several UN member states, international organisations and NGOs participated in the event initiated by Bahrain’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York marking the International Day of Conscience.
Source: Bahr
ain News Agency
