Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made the appeal at a ceremony held at his New York headquarters on Friday, September 13, to commemorate the ‘International Day of Peace’, celebrated annually on September 21.
The event is traditionally accompanied by the ringing of the Peace Bell, which was created from coins and medals donated by people around the world, including the Pope, in the 1950s as a symbol of hope for peace.
The UN Secretary General said in his speech, “We have gathered here to call for peace.” The United Nations exists for peace, which guides the organization and underpins the ideas and beliefs for which we are founded.
However, he warned that this “peace is endangered. “War is spreading.”
“From the Middle East to Sudan, Ukraine and beyond, we see bullets and bombs maim and take lives; The pile of corpses is high; The population is shocked; And the buildings are reduced to rubble.”
Shaky foundation
According to the UN chief, the foundations of a peaceful world are cracked. Geopolitical rifts are deepening and inequality is growing.
“The willful spread of misinformation is fueling the flames of hate. “New technology is being used as a weapon without any precautionary measures.”
Secretary-General Guterres warned that the climate crisis is fueling instability, depleting resources and forcing people into homelessness.
In view of this, international organizations should be better prepared to face the current challenges. “And we have a chance to change.”
A new agenda for peace
The UN Secretary-General said a ‘Summit of the Future’ was being held this month to reinvigorate the reform process.
He urged multilateral institutions to adapt to the current situation rather than the realities of World War II, advance a new agenda for peace, achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and protect human rights.
In this context, they called for the adoption of appropriate defense measures for the risks posed by climate change, the use of new technologies in violent conflict, the protection of gender equality, and reaching consensus to address concerns against racism and discrimination.
He said that a culture of peace should be developed by ensuring the participation of all sections of the civil society. This is the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace.
The UN Secretary-General said the Peace Bell is rung every year for this purpose and its echo should be heard around the world.
The hour of peace
The bell is rung twice a year: on the first day of spring and on September 21, the International Day of Peace.
In addition, it is also played on some other special occasions such as the 25th anniversary of the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident on 26 April 2011.