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President Janez Drnovšek at Meeting of World Leaders to Promote Culture of Peace
New York, 09/13/2005 | press release
The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Janez Drnovšek, met with world leaders today to promote the culture of peace through dialogue and cooperation between religions, cultures and civilizations. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the high-level plenary meeting of the 60th session of the UN General Assembly. It was attended by the heads of state and governments of the Philippines, Pakistan, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Senegal, Gambia, Thailand and Malaysia in addition to the directors general of UNESCO and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. Some European countries and the US also took part in the meeting as observer states.
President Drnovšek began by welcoming the initiative and stated that it had certainly come at the right time. He emphasised that we cannot be satisfied with current developments and trends because the world has never been so much out of balance. Poverty is increasing instead of decreasing, poor health is widespread, and there is still far too much violence. Even though we have not had a war on a world scale since World War II, frequent local conflicts and terrorism have become a reality of the present day. The impact of this lack of balance on development has also contributed to global climate changes. The human race has become destructive towards this planet and its environment. In view of all these facts, we cannot be satisfied with the global situation this year when we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the UN. We have to do much to achieve fairer trade and agricultural policies, so that they facilitate development for less developed countries and contribute to the eradication of poverty.
A world with more justice will limit the possibilities for terrorism. Terrorism is a realistic threat and it is only a matter of time when and how the increasingly developed technology of mass destruction will be used again. If these trends continue, nobody can feel safe regardless of where he or she lives. Security, however, cannot be ensured by military means alone. The origins of terrorism are sometimes irrational and may not have direct links to developmental imbalance; therefore, some coordinated effort of both developed and undeveloped countries in this area could certainly establish the conditions required to diminish the possibilities for outbreaks of terrorism.
It is most urgent that the awareness of this imbalance be heightened. Even when it is there, it is difficult to channel it through existing institutions, which are plagued by inertia. In this area, non-governmental organisations can play an important role. We should jointly heighten our awareness and follow it up with the action required to gradually improve the situation. This is the collective responsibility of mankind. It would be highly irresponsible to fail to respond to the challenges and threats of our contemporary world that we perceive so clearly. Therefore, we should do more than we are doing now, and the initiative to promote dialogue between religions, cultures and civilizations is certainly a step in the right direction.
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Office of the President of the Republic
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