UNITED NATIONS– UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Sunday kicked off the 100-day countdown to the International Day of Peace, which is observed on September 21, with a call for standing up against hatred and discrimination, and by caring for the pollution-hit planet.
“Peace is the foundation of that recovery. The global vaccination effort cannot advance amidst armed conflict,” he said in his countdown message marking the day on which the UN invites the world to celebrate peace by observing 24 hours of ceasefire and non-violence.
This year’s theme for the International Day of Peace is: “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world.”
In his message, the UN chief underscored that “we cannot build a sustainable, resilient and peaceful world while we are at war with nature”. The world cannot go back to what it was,” he stressed.
The Secretary-General up held the view that COVID recovery efforts offer humanity an opportunity to transform its relationship with the environment and the entire planet.
“As we count down to the International Day of Peace, I call on people everywhere to be part of a transformation for peace, by standing up against hatred and discrimination, by caring for the planet, and by showing the global solidarity that is so vital at this time,” he concluded.
The International Day of Peace was “established” by the UN General Assembly in 1981.
Two decades later, in 2001, the Assembly unanimously voted to “designate” the Day as a period of non-violence and ceasefire.
SOURCE: AGENCIES
