The
General Assembly met on Thursday to consider a report of the
Secretary - General on the Culture of Peace. The following is the
statement delivered by H.E Ambassador Ramadhan Mwinyi, Deputy
Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the United Nations on the
agenda item.
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Mr. President,
My
delegation welcomes the opportunity to participate in today’s debate on a
very important subject of peace – fostering a culture of peace.
We see
today’s meeting as an opportunity to reaffirm the purposes and
principles of the Charter, which have been immaculately summed up in the
resolutions set for adoption.
Like
many delegations in this august Chamber, we are deeply concerned about
the growing wave of extremism, violence and conflicts that are engulfing
many societies, including Africa’s, whose people – have for the past
400 years – endured the horrors of slavery, colonialism, apartheid,
resource plunder, chronic poverty and protracted conflicts.
Mr. President,
In
joining the United Nations Organization, our young independent nations
firmly believed that our people and countries would never again – see
conflicts and wars that have repeatedly brought untold sorrow to
humankind. Yet, we continue to witness such horrors and their attendant
ramifications, including the recent unprecedented migration and refugee
crisis in Europe and other parts of the world.
What
is more shocking is the emergence of non-state actors, whose brutal
transnational operations pose an imminent threat to our collective
security. Terrorist groups such as ISIL, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab and
others are everyone’s worst nightmare. Yet, we cannot simply wish them
away. We need to act collectively and resolutely to suppress their
criminal activities by blocking their means of survival, namely:
weapons, funds, supporters and ideology.
Mr. President,
It is
worth recalling that military measures are not – by themselves - an
antidote of terrorism. Far from it! As the Secretary-General has once
reminded us: “missiles may kill terrorists, but good governance kill
terrorism.” Military measures can only lead to further radicalization
and spread of violent extremism, dispersal of the problem, and an
upsurge of terror sympathizers. In addition to good governance, at all
levels, we need to promote inclusive economic development, eliminate all
forms of discrimination, eradicate poverty in all its forms, end
illiteracy, and reduce inequalities within and among nations. We also
need to strengthen local, national, regional and international
institutions, improve global governance, and silence the guns.
We
would like to underscore the importance of international cooperation in
addressing violent extremism, especially by tackling the root causes. We
welcome several interventions to this end, including those spearheaded
by the United Nations entities at regional and national levels. We wish
to underscore however that these interventions must take into account
national and regional contexts and priorities. Whereas some countries
may require assistance to build or rebuild national institutions others
may wish to focus their attention on socio-economic ways of addressing
the underlying causes of violent extremism.
For
instance, Tanzania attaches great importance on youth empowerment as a
means of addressing violent extremism. Consequently, we recognize and
appreciate the important role of education in nurturing the competencies
of tomorrow’s global citizens, including their aptitude to understand
others, empathize, think critically and exchange ideas peacefully. When
we empower the youth with the relevant knowledge and skills on mutual
respect and tolerance as well as the responsible use of Internet and
social media; we literally open up a window of opportunities for
employment and decent work, constructive engagement and
self-affirmation. By the same token, this investment can prevent their
involvement in nefarious activities. It can also limit the likelihood of
their succumbing to terror networks, which increasingly use the
Internet and social media to foment extremism and radicalism, especially
among young people.
Likewise,
we are fully aware of the important role of faith-based organizations
and religious leaders who exhibit tremendous influence in our
communities. It is important therefore, to engage them in our efforts
for fostering a culture of peace, mutual respect and tolerance. Tanzania
has witnessed first-hand the effectiveness of interfaith dialogue in
addressing a myriad of challenges facing our communities, including
violence and violent extremism. Among the lessons learned is that
associating any religion with terrorism can undermine trust, mutual
respect and cooperation, which are necessary precepts for defeating
extremism and radicalism.
In
addition, we must take full advantage of all social, cultural and
diplomatic tools at our disposal for building tolerant and responsible
societies. We believe that tourism can be an important vehicle for
cultural dialogue and mutual understanding among the peoples of the
world. Tanzania welcomes cultural tourists from all corners of the world
to visit our country and intermingle with our people, enjoying their
food, music, sports, legends and rich traditions. We have also opened
our doors for cultural diplomacy, whereby many countries have
established cultural centers in the country. We are ready to learn from
other cultures without necessarily abandoning our own!
Mr. President,
I
could not conclude my statement without expressing our utter dismay on
the escalation of the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage as
part of a cultural cleansing strategy. We note that such acts may
constitute a war crime. We thus call for the perpetrators to be held
accountable. We also call for the return of stolen artefacts to their
countries of origin and restoration or rehabilitation of damaged
heritage cites. UNESCO’s work in this regard is indeed commendable.
Finally, we wish to reaffirm Tanzania’s readiness to work with other
Members of this Organization, the United Nations System and other
stakeholders in formulating, implementing and strengthening measures
aimed at fostering a culture of peace at all levels. We keenly await in
this regard, the finalization of the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action
for Preventing Violent Extremism. As Mwalimu Nyerere, the founder of the
independent Tanzania once remarked: “Violence is unnecessary and
costly. Peace is the only way”. Let us invest in peace.
I thank you for your kind attention.
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