Statement by
H.E. Mr. Majid Takht Ravanchi
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
Before the United Nations Security Council
On “Peacebuilding and Sustainable Peace: Diversity,
State Building and the Search for Peace”
New York, 12 October 2021
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Mr. President,
The correlation between diversity and conflict might not be better described than by the Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which states “wars begin in the minds of men”.
This fact has also been proved by the United Nations, according to which “Three-quarters of the world’s major conflicts have a cultural dimension”.
Such cultural elements as religion, ethnicity, race, language and the like are often among the major drivers for violence in many conflicts or act as catalyst for further fanning and fueling wars.
Unfortunately, the negative impacts of such elements in conflict or post conflict situations are even worse when they are combined with other factors like external interference.
A quite pertinent question is how these impacts, either as a cause of conflict or its exacerbation, can be addressed. And instead, how they can be used as factors for conflict resolution, peacebuilding and ensuring a sustaining peace.
Again, the answer can be found in the UNESCO’s Constitution, which states that “it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed”.
Accordingly, what is needed is to raise awareness about the importance and benefits of cultural diversity as a driver for peace not a cause for war and a source of unity not a factor for disunity.
This is exactly for this reason that UNESCO has rightly proclaimed in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, that “cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature”.
Through that Declaration, UNESCO has also affirmed “that respect for the diversity of cultures, tolerance, dialogue and cooperation, in a climate of mutual trust and understanding are among the best guarantees of international peace and security”.
Indeed, if cultural diversity is either neglected or abused, the consequences would be catastrophic. The living example is the situation in Afghanistan.
It is precisely for this reason that the international community is now strongly calling for the full respect for the rights of all ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and women in that country as well as the establishment of a truly inclusive government there.
As the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran has said, in his statement in the 76th Session of the General Assembly, “If an inclusive government having an effective participation of all ethnicities shouldn’t emerge to run Afghanistan, security will not be restored to the country”.
Success of peacebuilding in all societies with different ethnic or religious or linguistic minorities depends, among other things, on ensuring the rights of all its minorities in a just manner, and Afghanistan is no exception.
Seizing this opportunity, I would also like to highlight the importance that Holy Quran attaches to human diversity, where it states “O mankind, we have created you male and female, and appointed you races and tribes, that you may know one another” (49:13).
In fact, the value of humanity does not stem from the difference of their hair or skin colors or their blood types or their sexes or races and alike. While such differences are real, they should not be abused to incite hatred, division, violence and war, whether within or between nations.
This fact has eloquently and beautifully been explained, in the thirteenth century, by the great Iranian poet Saadi, who has said:
“Human beings are members of a whole
In creation of one essence and soul
If one member is afflicted with pain
Other members uneasy will remain
If you have no sympathy for human pain
The name of human you cannot retain”.
As stated in Article 1 of Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, cultural diversity is “the common heritage of humanity and should be recognized and affirmed for the benefit of present and future generations.”
Therefore, the recognition of cultural diversity and rejection of its exploitation to incite hatred and violence or cause or intensify conflicts must be a guiding principle in all efforts aimed at conflict resolution, peacebuilding and ensuring sustaining peace.
In practical terms, peacebuilding is a national responsibility and the best that external players can do is to assist a country that has emerged from a war, to prevent possible recurrence of conflict, and to consolidate the foundations of a durable peace.
All such supports and assistances must inevitably be provided based on the explicit request and consent of the respective country as well as the priorities and strategies it has defined to that end.
More importantly, these efforts must be in accordance with the basic principles of international law, particularly full respect for the sovereignty, unity, political independence and territorial integrity of the concerned country.
Likewise, the principle of national ownership must be fully and strictly observed in all such efforts.
We share the concerns over the exponential rise of fake news in recent years and their role to disseminate hate speech, which can have negative impacts on conflict and post conflict situations.
We also seriously warn about systematic attempts by certain States aimed at cultural assimilation, which can undermine cultural diversity, violate the rights of minorities, and lead to exclusion and injustice, all of which are among the causes of conflicts or their intensification.
As a country which has always strongly supported the recognition of cultural diversity and has been a pioneer in calling for dialogue among civilizations and cultures, the Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to further contribute to the preservation of cultural diversity and using it as a source of unity and solidarity within and among nations.
I thank you, Mr. President.