A/69/PV.98 General Assembly

Members will recall that the Assembly held a debate on agenda item 13 and its sub-item (a), jointly with agenda item 115, and adopted resolution 69/15 at its 51st plenary meeting, on 14 November 2014. Members will also recall that, under sub-item (a) of agenda item 13, the Assembly adopted resolution 69/282 at its 92nd plenary meeting, on 3 June 2015. I now give the floor to the representative of South Africa to introduce draft resolution A/69/L.50/Rev.1.

I have the honour, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, to introduce draft resolution A/69/L.50/Rev.1, entitled “Follow-up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition”. *1520868 * 15-20868 (E) In response to some editorial changes, we would like to make some revisions to the draft resolution. First, we would request that, in the first preambular paragraph, a reference be included to resolution 68/231 of 20 December 2013. Secondly, with respect to the third preambular paragraph, we would request that the language of the draft text revert to that agreed on at the negotiations. It should read: “Recognizing with concern the need to eradicate hunger and prevent all forms of malnutrition worldwide, particularly undernourishment, stunting, wasting, underweight and overweight in children under five years of age and anaemia in women and children, among other micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reverse the rising trends in overweight and obesity and reduce the burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases in all age groups.” The last revision relates to the fourth preambular paragraph, which would read: “Taking note with appreciation of the role of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, in collaboration with other relevant agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and other international organizations, to support national Governments, upon request, in developing, strengthening and implementing their policies, programmes and plans to address the multiple challenges of malnutrition.” I would like to take this opportunity to thank the facilitator of the draft resolution for her efforts to bring the informal consultations to a speedy conclusion. I would also like to express my appreciation to all delegations for their constructive engagement and to the Secretariat for its assistance. I commend draft resolution A/69/L.50/Rev.1 to the General Assembly for adoption by consensus.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/69/L.50/Rev.1, entitled “Follow-up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition”, as orally revised. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution, and in addition to those delegations listed in the document, Italy has become a sponsor of A/69/L.50/Rev.1.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to adopt draft resolution A/69/L.50/Rev.1, as orally revised.

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (a) of agenda item 13.

Members will recall that the Assembly held its debate on agenda item 123 and its sub-items (a) to (y) at its 48th plenary meeting, on 11 November 2014. I give the floor to the representative of Timor-Leste to introduce draft resolution A/69/L.78.

On behalf of the States members of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP)  — Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe and my own country, Timor-Leste  — it is my honour to introduce, under agenda item 123 (h), draft resolution A/69/L.78, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries”. The Community encompasses 240 million people in nine countries and four continents bound by a common language and strong cultural ties. Its main goals are to strengthen diplomatic and political dialogue, enhance cooperation in all areas and promote the Portuguese language. The CPLP is committed to reinforcing cooperation among its member States with other States and regional and multilateral organizations, such as the United Nations and its agencies, funds and programmes. At the tenth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the CPLP, held in Dili on 23 July 2014, on the theme “The Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries and globalization”, the leaders recognized the need to strengthen economic and entrepreneurial cooperation and reiterated their commitment to reinforcing the human right to adequate food in national and community policies. At the conference, Equatorial Guinea was admitted as the ninth member of the Community, while Georgia, Japan, Namibia and Turkey were admitted as associate observers. As stated during the high-level thematic debate on strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations, the draft resolution aims at deepening the CPLP’s partnership with the United Nations in the pursuit of common objectives, particularly in the sectors of human rights, health, education, science, culture, food and agriculture, public administration, science and technology, among others. The draft resolution commends Guinea-Bissau’s return to constitutional order, noting the active engagement of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative for Guinea-Bissau, as well as of international bilateral and multilateral partners, in particular the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the CPLP and the European Union, and recognizing the role played by the Peacebuilding Commission and the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau. The draft resolution also welcomes the reactivation of the International Contact Group on Guinea-Bissau as a prime example of cooperation between the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States and the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries to the benefit of the people of Guinea-Bissau. The draft resolution also takes note of the successful holding of the international conference that took place in Brussels on 25 March 2015, co-hosted by the Government of Guinea-Bissau, the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme, in which the CPLP also participated. In conclusion, on behalf of the CPLP member States, allow me to express our deep appreciation to the countries that contributed to enriching the text and those that sponsored the draft resolution. We are very pleased with such a high number of sponsorship and support this year, and therefore kindly request that the draft resolution be adopted without a vote.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/69/L.78, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries”. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that since the submission of the draft resolution, and in addition to those delegations listed in the document, the following countries have become sponsors of A/69/L.78: Canada, Ecuador and the Republic of Moldova.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/69/L.78?

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (h) of agenda item 123.

Members will recall that the Assembly held a debate on agenda item 14 and adopted resolutions 69/139 and 69/140 at its 72nd plenary meeting, on 15 December 2014. Members will also recall that, under the same item, the Assembly adopted resolution 69/281 at its 91st plenary meeting, on 28 May 2015. I now give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Spain to introduce draft resolution A/69/L.76.

I am greatly pleased to see the second draft resolution on the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations being introduced to members of the Assembly for adoption today. When in 2004 Spain called on the General Assembly to promote an alliance of civilizations, it did so in response to the need for the international community to undertake decisive steps, both at the institutional level and that of civil society, to embrace diversity as a means to make progress, overcome prejudice and work together to promote tolerance. Since the Secretary- General formally launched it in 2005, when the draft resolution presented by Spain became a United Nations initiative under the co-sponsorship of Spain and Turkey, developments have evolved in a way that I cannot label as anything but successful. The Group of Friends includes more than 140 members, drawn from all major geographic regions and international organizations. Six forums have been convened. In the international arena, the initiative has been geared towards concrete actions in the four main priority areas. At the regional level, the focus has been on strategies focused on South-Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and Latin America, with regional consultations held in the Asia-Pacific region and the countries of the League of Arab States. Two High Representatives appointed by the Secretary-General to lead the Alliance of Civilizations — former President of Portugal Jorge Sampaio and current High Representative Al-Nasser — have contributed to its growth through various biennual projects and a strategic review. I would like to express deep appreciation to both of them for the work they have done. But what is most important is that in the past 10 years the initiative has served as a platform for dialogue and cooperation that has connected civil society with local authorities, universities and much more. The balance now is clearly positive, but that should not prevent us from continuing to renew and strengthen this shared tool to more efficiently respond to the changing threats we face today. The recent increase in terrorist attacks, violence with religious motivations and violent extremism compel us to strengthen the Alliance’s functions and response. We call on its leadership to respond to the expectations of all of us who support the initiative. We hope that draft resolution (A/69/L.76), the second to be adopted since resolution 64/14, in 2009, which includes more than 100 sponsors — demonstrating the full support of the General Assembly for the initiative — will clearly serve as a working instrument for us for the next several years. I would like therefore to highlight some issues on which I hope this draft resolution will make it possible for the Alliance to focus its activities. First, the Alliance has the capacity to serve as an instrument to promote the prevention of conflict through mediation and reconciliation. The projects developed should meet the growing need to prevent conflicts before they emerge, thereby contributing positively to resolving conflicts and achieving peace through mediation programmes that promote dialogue and respect among different cultures and religions. Secondly, the increase in radicalization and violent extremism requires more interinstitutional cooperation throughout the United Nations system and its agencies and programmes, including designing policies that increasingly take into account intercultural and interreligious aspects. Thirdly, the greater participation of members of national parliaments in promoting intercultural respect and the eradication of the causes of conflicts would be extremely beneficial. The Group of Friends and the focal points have an important role to play in defining strategies and actions for the Alliance. To that end, we call on the High Representative to make greater use of them. With this draft resolution, Spain and Turkey, the other main sponsor of the initiative, have sought to consolidate the institutional response of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations while also better defining its mandate through its four pillars of action: education, youth, the media and migration. Finally, we wish to express our deep appreciation to all delegations that actively participated in the negotiations, especially the experts, as well as all those that demonstrated their support through their sponsorship, We now must move from words to deeds that favour greater intercultural and interfaith dialogue.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/69/L.76, entitled “United Nations Alliance of Civilizations”. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that, since the submission of the draft resolution and in addition to those delegations listed in document A/69/L.76, the following countries have also become sponsors of the draft resolution: Andorra, Belarus, Benin, Brunei Darussalam, Cape Verde, Cameroon, the Czech Republic, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, Grenada, Iraq, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Mozambique, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, the Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, the Sudan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Vanuatu and Viet Nam.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to adopt draft resolution A/69/L.76?

Before giving the floor to speakers who wish to speak in explanation of position, may I remind delegations that explanations are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

Israel joined the consensus on resolution 69/312, on the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. We support intercultural dialogue and cooperation. However, we would like to place on the record that we do not view the unified Arab strategy mentioned in the resolution as binding on Israel.

On behalf of my delegation, I would like to commend the leadership and professionalism of the President in advancing the agenda of the General Assembly and to thank him for this opportunity to share our views under this important agenda item. Armenia recognizes the importance of resolution 69/312, entitled “United Nations Alliance of Civilizations”, and appreciates the efforts of its main sponsors based on the strong belief that respect and tolerance regarding the other’s identity, ethnicity, cultural and religious heritage are among the important prerequisites for harmonious and peaceful coexistence. As stipulated in the resolution, the scourges of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in all their forms and manifestations are deeply troubling. In that context, we are seriously concerned about the spread of the scourge in our immediate neighbourhood, where the official machinery of the State and the Head of State are the actual instigators of hate speech and vilification of the other. In reference to the location for the seventh Global Forum, envisaged for 2016, we would like to reiterate our enduring concern about the persistent dissemination of and incitement to hatred against Armenia and the Armenian people, including at the highest level, by the leadership of the host country. Such an environment of hatred and intolerance does not bode well for the principles of the Alliance. It also raises significant concerns about the safety and security of potential participants from Armenia at the Forum. It raises questions about the ability of the host country to provide fair, secure and equal conditions for participation and to guarantee the integrity of the Forum. We therefore urge the host country to provide solid guarantees for the safe, secure and equal participation of Armenia at the Forum. We also draw the attention of other members of the Alliance and its secretariat to our concerns. In conclusion, Armenia hopes that the Alliance will sustain a continued focus on its proclaimed positive message of diversity and harmony among civilizations.

We have heard the last speaker in explanation of position. I shall now give the floor to members who wish to make statements following the adoption of resolution 69/312.

Allow me, at the outset, to welcome the role played by the United Nations in promoting a culture of peace, tolerance and non-violence. We thank the delegations of Spain and Turkey for having prepared resolution 69/312 under agenda item 14, entitled “Culture of peace”. We are all promoting peace. It is the aspiration of all humankind and the very core of the Charter of the United Nations. It is also important that it be at the heart of conflict resolution, given the many problems the world is facing as a result of discord and intolerance of others, which make it difficult to achieve our common objectives of peace, progress and stability. That situation in turn leads to inequality, discrimination, misunderstanding and radicalism throughout the world. It is therefore necessary to build and strengthen the culture of peace throughout the world, and disseminate tolerance and love of the other and respect for diversity without regard to religion, skin color, gender or religious belief. That is absolutely necessary if we wish to move away from the present situation of inequality and violence. The initiative endorses those principles and calls for coexistence among cultures and civilizations and the dissemination of the values of tolerance, justice and equality in order to rise to the challenge of chaos and violence. That is why Tunisia is pleased to have been among the first States to adhere to this initiative to bring peoples and nations together. We also support the four pillars of the Alliance of Civilizations. I take this opportunity to reiterate my country’s respect for the initiative’s principles and promotion of exchange of knowledge and experiences through young representatives from North Africa and the Middle East, Europe and North America. We are very proud to host a delegation of representatives from Europe and North America, which will take place in October. We are also pleased to be a sponsor of the resolution. We look forward to working tirelessly to strengthen understanding among cultures, religions and civilizations. Peace must be one of the strategic elements of the post-2015 development agenda. We also agree with the recommendation of the UNESCO Director-General, and her statement that peace is not simply the absence of war; peace requires respect for the rights of people, their dignity and diversity and dialogue among cultures. To implement all of that, we must work tirelessly to build a more stable and peaceful world for our children and future generations.

I would like to thank the Permanent Missions of Spain and Turkey for introducing the important resolution 69/312, which Bangladesh is pleased to have co-sponsored. Bangladesh believes that all cultures and civilizations contribute to the enrichment of humankind, thereby recognizing the importance of respect and understanding for religious and cultural diversity throughout the world and encouraging tolerance, respect, dialogue and cooperation among different cultures, civilizations and peoples. Bangladesh attaches great importance to intercultural and interreligious dialogue in promoting tolerance and reconciliation in matters related to peaceful coexistence among cultures, religions and beliefs. We emphasize the role of the Alliance of Civilizations in advancing that agenda within the United Nations system in cooperation with the relevant agencies of the system, under the respective mandates, and with Governments and civil society. The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is one of the major United Nations platforms for intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation. It has connected Governments, lawmakers, local authorities, civil society organizations, the media and individuals devoted to promoting understanding across diverse communities. In that connection, it is my pleasure to inform the Assembly that Bangladesh has pioneered the culture of peace resolution since 1999. Last year we observed its fifteenth year with the adoption of resolution 69/139, entitled “Follow-up to the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace”, sponsored by over 100 countries and adopted by consensus on 15 December 2014. Resolution 69/312, on a culture of peace, also recognizes the role of the Alliance of Civilizations. The culture of peace resolution notes that all misunderstandings, violence and words emanate from a mindset of intolerance and hatred; and therefore it is worthwhile to create a mindset of tolerance and respect for all, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or color. Let us work together in our endeavour to establish a pro- people, pro-planet and more inclusive and equitable, transformed and peaceful world for all — where no one is left behind.

Azerbaijan joined the consensus on resolution 69/312, and, on behalf of my country, I would like to emphasize its importance. The scope and objectives of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations incorporates humanistic values in societies and reiterates that religion and diversity are a source of peace and coexistence. In this vein, I would like to thank the main sponsors, Turkey and Spain, for their tireless efforts in addressing important elements in the resolution. My country has always offered a place for religious tolerance. Members of all multi-ethnic and multi-religious groups live as one family in Azerbaijan. It is at this historic time that we all are all facing challenges to the values of the Charter of the United Nations — when neglecting them threatens the values of diversity, identity, pluralism and freedom of religionthat we hold so dear. Over many decades, the subject of intercultural dialogue played a significant role in building my country’s leadership on an international scale. In fact, it gives me a great sense of pride to highlight that my country hosted the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue last spring and, immediately following it, the first-ever European Olympic Games, which included participants from neighbouring countries, despite their political agendas, antipathy, mono-national views or negligence of international law. As a consequence of my country’s dedication to this subject, Azerbaijan will host the Alliance’s seventh Global Forum and will welcome the participation of all countries.

On behalf of the main sponsors, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all delegations for the consensus adoption of resolution 69/312, on the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. We are particularly encouraged by the broad cross- regional sponsorship of the resolution. We consider that that support is for the noble cause that the Alliance has been standing and working for since its inception. Countering discrimination, xenophobia and extremism — our common effort — is now more important than ever. The resolution also clarifies the institutional standing of the Alliance, which is of critical importance for carrying out its tasks. On this occasion, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the delegations that actively participated in the negotiation process and enriched the text of the milestone resolution through their valuable contributions. We are confident that, with this renewed political guidance and support, the Secretariat will continue pursuing its activities in an effective manner.

I now call on the observer of the European Union.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The candidate countries Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania; the country of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina; as well as Ukraine and Georgia, align themselves with this statement. Let me, at the outset, express our deep appreciation for the leadership of Spain and Turkey as the main sponsors of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations as well as the excellent work that they have conducted as main sponsors of resolution 69/312, which the Assembly has just adopted. In the past year, we have witnessed a dramatic increase in radicalization and violent extremism. The adoption of this resolution comes at a time when the United Nations, its States Members and the international community more than ever need to step up efforts in promoting greater understanding and respect among civilizations, cultures, religions and beliefs, based on the human rights of all persons and the prevalence of the universal values at the heart of the Organization. The task of the Alliance in promoting its four pillars of activity — youth, education, media and migration — as well as the values of conflict prevention, mediation and reconciliation, is paramount to addressing the current challenges we face. The resolution stresses the role of the Group of Friends and focal points. We encourage the High Representative to hold a continuous dialogue with both the Group of Friends and the focal points on strategic priorities, as well as concrete activities, thereby ensuring the necessary ownership of the Governments and partners supporting the Alliance. We also want to acknowledge the work of UNESCO and the Secretariat in this area, as well as other initiatives, among them the Anna Lindh Euro- Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures and the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue. We encourage the Alliance to benefit from the synergies and complementarity of all actors working in its remit. The consensual adoption of this resolution is a clear sign of the importance that Member States attach to the role of the Alliance and provides the necessary political guidance to pursue its important work.

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 14.