Mr. President, Colleagues,

Allow me at the outset to thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this important event.

It is more important today to underline the significance of “Culture of Peace” as we embark upon the 25th anniversary of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.

Racism, xenophobia, and religious intolerance, including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, have reached alarming levels.

Türkiye plays a leading role in international efforts on combating these alarming trends.

The Alliance of Civilizations, which was co-sponsored by Türkiye and Spain in 2005 to promote peaceful co-existence in a difficult age is a case in point.

Today, with 160 members, the Alliance has become one of the most prominent and widely supported peace initiatives at the UN.

Within its almost 20 years of existence the Alliance accumulated a considerable expertise in this field and proved to be a critical tool in promoting greater understanding and respect among cultures and religions.

Taking this opportunity, we would like to call on all Group of Friends members to participate in the 10th Global Forum of the Alliance which will be held on 25-27 November this year in Portugal.

Mr. President,

A Culture of Peace can take hold only in an environment where mutual respect and tolerance is exercised.

It is critical that, we continue to work together to promote values of peace, tolerance, justice and human dignity.

We can never allow hate to take hold of society.

Our best line of defense is solidarity and compassion.

The Pact for the Future that will be adopted this year should keep the agenda for a culture of peace and non-violence at its central core.

For that matter, we should strengthen calls for intercultural and interreligious dialogue in all spheres of life including the digital fora.

We should keep working together to advance the shared values of inclusion, tolerance, and mutual understanding.

Thank you.