Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC briefing “Values of human fraternity in promoting and sustaining peace”
Mme.President,
We thank the United Arab Emirates for convening a briefing on such an important issue as ”Values of human fraternity in promoting and sustaining peace”.
We thank Secretary-General Guterres, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar - Sheikh Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, and Ms. Latifa Ibn Ziaten for their substabtive inputs.
In this challenging time, discussing this topic allows us to highlight the importance of the values of human fraternity, tolerance, the culture of peace, and peaceful co-existence among various peoples. It also allows us to turn to the origins and the fundamental principles of this Organization that are set out in the UN Charter. Today as never before, member states are required to recommit to tolerance and peaceful living as good neighbors, develop international cooperation, i.a. with a view to resolving the global economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems. It is exactly the principles of the UN Charter that should underpin a truly multipolar world that is respectful of human fraternity values.
The topic of this meeting also resonates with Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reads, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”. We fully subscribe to these crucial provisions.
It is our firm conviction that the variety of traditions and peculiarities of historical development (everything that values of human fraternity are based on) should be a unifying factor for the global community. Whatever controversies may arise among states, universal human values that all are shared by all major religions and anchored in cultural and historical traditions can serve as a reliable basis for dialogue.
Mme.President,
As a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional state, Russia takes effort to develop dialogue and partnership among representatives of different cultures, religions and civilizations and consistently pursues this policy within international and regional organizations.
In this context, a special place in international cooperation belongs to the United Nations and its Alliance of Civilizations, which plays a leading role in fostering a full-fledged inter-civilizational dialogue aimed at achieving harmony among representatives of different religions, confessions, and cultures. We count on the Alliance of Civilizations to continue its useful work in promoting education in the spirit of peace and global citizenship in order to deepen the understanding of people, in particular the youth, of such values as peace, tolerance, openness, and mutual respectfulness that are essential to building a culture of peace.
Mme.President,
We are very concerned over the increasing number of cases of discrimination, intolerance, and extremism based on racial, ethnical, or other hatred, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and Christianophobia primarily in European countries.
Availing of their impunity, digital platforms and social media often indulge in spreading disinformation and hatespeech, disrespect of religious and spiritual values of different faiths, provide tribune to extremists, undermine tolerance and diversity.
One of the clearest manifestations of intolerance is Russophobia, which we spoke about during a special meeting of the Security Council that convened on March 14 on our initiative.
All of us are saying that attacks on places of worship are unacceptable. In this context, we would like to draw particular attention to the flagrant violations of the universal human and constitutional rights of followers of canonical Orthodox Christianity in Ukraine. This is happening with the tacit consent of the sponsors of the Kiev regime.
Discriminatory legislation enables seizures of churches of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and the forced, illegal liquidation of their communes. Such measures go side by side with violence against the believers. Numerous cases of arson and vandalism in churches have been recorded. Hierarchs and supporters of the UOC are subjected to discrimination, physical and moral violence. Over several months, the world has been watching people who are devoted to their faith protect the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, courageously resist extremists and pressure by the Kiev authorities.
Ukrainian mass media have launched an unbridled defamation campaign against the UOC, calling to prohibit it completely. Against this backdrop, the lack of reaction of international rights advocates to this violent crackdown on the believers, as well as destruction and appropriation of religious facilities appears particularly cynical. We drew the attention of the international community to this situation and convened a special meeting of the Security Council on persecution of the UOC by the Kiev authorities on 17 January this year. We also held an Arria-formula meeting on this subject matter.
We can also see that, at the instigation of the leaders of the Kiev regime, there has been an increase in Islamophobia in Ukraine.
Protecting places of worship – mosques, synagogues, and churches – is an obligation of states that is safeguarded by international law, national legislations, religion, and norms of human morality.
Cases of faith-based persecution of worshippers, as well as persecution on the basis of national, ethnic and linguistic affiliation are quite numerous.
Mme.President,
Representatives of the world's traditional religions can and should engage more actively in efforts to sustain peace and resolve armed conflicts. We commend the activities of religious leaders aimed at strengthening and developing inter-confessional dialogue and achieving understanding and awareness of shared human values, as well as respect for the beliefs of other religious traditions. We welcome the signing of documents reflecting these goals, such as the joint declaration of His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb "Human Brotherhood for Global Peace and Living Together" in February 2019 and the joint statement of His Holiness Pope Francis and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in February 2016.
We agree that state and religious leaders need to understand the exceptional importance of working to achieve inter-ethnic and inter-confessional unity and fraternity, searching for ways for dialogue and compromise in order to ensure an equitable world order and prosperity. There is always an alternative to confrontation. It is mutually respectful dialogue aimed at resolving interstate contradictions and creating an atmosphere conducive to peace and understanding.
Thank you.
