Statement by

Statement by

H.E. Dr. M. Javad Zarif,

Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran

before the UN General Assembly

Under item 168 (Dialogue Among Civilizations)

4 November 1998

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In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Understanding Dialogue Among Civilizations

The founders of our Organization enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations the common aspiration of the entire humanity and indeed their determination "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war which twice in [their] lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind." They sought to do so by "practicing tolerance and living together in peace with one another as good neighbors", by promoting justice and respect for the rule of law and by "reaffirming faith in fundamental human rights, in their dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small."

As we the people of the United Nations look back and take stock of half a century of Charter existence, together with achievements, historic as they are, including the very establishment of the Organization, we seek dark episodes of bigotry, exclusion, confrontation and bloodshed. Following two atrocious world wars, which gave rise to a global determination to arrest this trend, wars in the era of the United Nations Charter have taken a very high toll of human life and spirit. The last decade of the twentieth century has had more than its share of genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, challenging the very ideals of the Charter.

But these are aberrations, not the norm. The last decades of this millennium following the advent of the United Nations have been symbolized by a universal desire to promote peace, tolerance and understanding and ensure social, economic and political development through international cooperation and solidarity. Certainly, such progress has not come easy since old habits fade only after resistance and friction. Even today, attempts are being made to institutionalize and even sanctify and thus perpetuate the mentality associated with rivalries and conflicts by elevating the clash of rival political and economic interests to the level of irreconcilability of civilizations and their inevitable clash.

It is evident that on the eve of the new millennium the world cannot afford to begin a new chapter in its life with such dangerous ideas which give rise to intolerance and ignore the ever-growing communications and interaction among nations in an increasingly interdependent world. We should enter the nest century with common resolve aimed at minimizing conflicts and utilizing the strengths of human diversity for the promotion of dialogue among nations.

President Khatami's initiative to promote and facilitate dialogue among civilizations promises to provide a suitable framework for expanding the horizons for constructive and enriching interaction among peoples of various origins and persuasions. Central to this framework is the premise that diversity of humankind is and has always been a source of strength and not a cause for division, thus encompassing all nations and peoples regardless of their race, color, creed and national origin. The international community has indicated its willingness to embrace this idea as it hopes to provide a fresh approach towards a better tomorrow for humanity.

"Violence" is said to be "the ultimate manifestation of inarticulateness." Dialogue among civilizations is thus a call stemming from the collective wisdom of man to avoid "violence", in its broadest sense, through better articulation of differing ideas, visions and aspirations. The nature of such a dialogue is intellectual and cultural in essence. It postulates that the gift of diversity among people ought to be recognized and explored through interaction and communication. While managing the diversity among nations is likely to remain among the most challenging tasks confronting the international community, dialogue and interaction are indispensable for any accomplishment in this respect.

Great civilizations throughout human history have flourished through a collective process of endeavor and interaction of various people with diverse cultures and orientations. Various civilizations in the span of history and geography have contributed, in one way or another, to the progressive development of human society as a whole. They have learned from each other, have affected and influenced each other, and at times have competed with each other. A close reading of human history would indicate that, notwithstanding formidable obstacles to constructive interaction among nations imposed by episodes and manifestations of intolerance and war, civilizations have always managed to benefit and thrive through communication and mutual enrichment, while preserving their individual identities. As such, the achievements of different civilizations, constitute the collective heritage of mankind. By the same token, the benefits of interaction among civilizations has and will continue to be extended to all as well.

Given the fundamental role of culture in shaping political and economic structures, the promotion of dialogue among different cultures, on the basis of tolerance and respect for diversity, would result in the reduction of tensions and contribute to international peace and security. While dialogue by itself would not guarantee the eradication of evils of war and bigotry, it does provide a reasonable and sound paradigm to approach the global problems likely to confront us in the 21st century.

Supporting the Dialogue Among Civilizations

It is thus imperative that each and every member of the international community - - governments, the United Nations system, international and non-governmental organizations - take part in the process of promoting and facilitating dialogue among civilizations. It will require first and foremost the engagement and active participation of scholars, philosophers, intellectuals, artists and historians, among others. They are indeed the proper agents and immediate beneficiaries of dialogue and exchange, and they are undoubtedly cognizant and convinced of its merits. A cursory search on the Internet reveals a multitude of primarily non-governmental organizations in practically every country that have a wealth of experience in one or another aspect of inter-civilizational dialogue which aim to foster peace and understanding among nations. Collective thinking and interactive reinforcement would pave the way towards common goals of peace, security, freedom, tolerance, and justice.

As I indicated earlier, mutually beneficial interactions among civilizations have always existed and carried through by visionary men and women despite all odds. The United Nations was also built around this notion to bridge the divide between nations united under the Charter to promote and understanding through an inclusive process of dialogue and interaction. The significance of our exercise today, in this august Assembly, is to confirm, at the political level, the universal recognition and endorsement of the virtues and wisdom, and indeed the inescapable imperative, of dialogue among civilizations for the growth of human life. Our aggregate support of the notion of dialogue among civilizations will help in rendering it all the more a forceful reality.

The proposal of President Khatami to designate the year 2001 as the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations seeks to indicate the collective resolve of the international community to begin the new millennium with a fresh approach to global interactions and a determination to build a better tomorrow for future generations based on a new paradigm of understanding and mutual respect. His vision was shared by many other world leaders, including our distinguished Secretary-General, who have also spoken of the need for greater understanding among nations, cultures and civilizations. Judging from these statements, therefore, the timing for the adoption of the proposal is impeccable.

This proposal had already found support in other international fora. It may be recalled that Tehran Declaration of the Eighth Islamic Summit Conference emphasized "the imperative of positive interaction, dialogue and understanding among cultures and religions, and [rejected] the theories of clash and conflict which breed mistrust and diminish the grounds for peaceful interaction among nations". Furthermore, in the Final Document of the Twelfth Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Durban, South Africa in September this year, "the Heads of State of Government expressed their concern at attempt to suggest divisions between cultures and civilizations... and expressed their resolve to facilitate and promote enhanced dialogue between cultures and civilizations at the turn of the millennium."

Institutionalizing the Dialogue Among Civilizations

The time has now come for the United Nations General Assembly, as the sole universal body encompassing the representatives of nearly every nation on earth, to designates the year 2001 as the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. It is a great honor and privilege to introduce the draft resolution contained in document A/53/L.23Rev.1, which seeks to take the first step in this regard and lay the foundation for institutionalizing, promoting and facilitating dialogue among civilizations. I do so on behalf of the co-sponsors of this draft resolution:

The draft resolution calls for the designation of the year 2001 as the United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilization, reaffirms the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, recognizes the diverse civilizational achievements of mankind, emphasizes the imperative of tolerance, and invites governments, United Nations system, including UNESCO and other international and non-governmental organizations to initiate policies aimed at facilitating dialogue and exchange and adopt appropriate programs, such as public awareness campaigns, seminars and conferences to promote dialogue among civilizations.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and other sponsors of this draft resolution are confident that all Member States have given this concept and the draft resolution due consideration and are in a position to lend their unanimous support, taking a resolute and historic first step towards the institutionalization of dialogue, providing future generations with a sound and firm point of departure to face the challenges of the 21st century, in the hope that the third millennium will be one of dialogue and not of clash, one of articulation and not of violence.

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