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K. Khalili: Address to World Summit 2019
Written by H.E. Karim Khalili, vice president, Afghanistan (2004-2014)
Friday, February 8, 2019
Address to World Summit 2019, Seoul, Korea, February 7–11, 2019
Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, founder of the Universal Peace Federation; Dr. Thomas G. Walsh, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen!
I am so delighted to participate in this summit to discuss the very important subject of peace, security and human development.
I am thankful to UPF for holding this important summit and also for their sincere hospitality. The achievements of UPF to support peace dialogue around the globe are notable. I hope holding such conferences will promote peace as a dominant universal discourse.
Currently the world is experiencing bloody wars, distractive violence and conflicts in many places. Resolving this requires more peaceful behavior from institutions and actors at the international, regional and national levels. The world must act more responsibly and peacefully.
Civilizations and religions that shape the beliefs of human beings must dialogue with each other to structure a peaceful world for the prosperity of human beings. The nation-states that act under international law should work together to promote a better international environment and use global resources more wisely.
Wars and conflicts are the major reasons for the destruction of civilizations and waste of global resources. We as the inhabitants of the globe should end conflict and violence to promote a prosperous and peaceful environment for humankind and avoid the waste of resources.
Ladies and gentlemen! I come from a country that has been a victim of war in the past 40 years and still is. It is obvious that when conflict arises in a particular country, it will harm not only that country but also the region in many forms. In other words, the interests of today’s world are so integrated that a crisis in one area can endanger the interests of the entire world. This brings us to the point that promoting peace, security and stability in any place will make the entire globe much safer.
Integrated global challenges require active, coherent and sustainable solutions. Violence and conflict must end, and peace must prevail. We should see war and peace as global phenomena.
The cause of conflict differs from one case to another. The solutions to a conflict should be based on the cause of the conflict. But there is an international aspect to almost every conflict. The international order should respond to that aspect and should promote a peaceful global atmosphere.
In the current century, many conflicts rise from the clash of some dimension of the existing civilizations. The world order should promote coherence, tolerance and coexistence among the civilizations in terms of economy, politics and values to achieve a more sustainable and prevailing global peace.
Respecting each other’s differences, promoting globally shared values, and avoiding violence in resolving disagreements are the mechanisms that can foster a peaceful international environment. We have to avoid dominance and unfair demands on international resources.
Promoting “peace,” “security” and “human development” demands the support of global values, institutions and mechanisms that offer peaceful solutions for the conflicts in the international arena. In addition, the states that experience violence should define a broader regional interest that not only benefits them but also creates opportunities for the rest of the world. This can create a common language, interests and goals.
Economic and human development is an integral part of a sustainable global peace. International organizations and nation-states should invest in education to enhance human and economic development.
Ladies and gentlemen! Radicalism, misinterpretation of religion, racism and sectarianism have caused many conflicts in today’s world. These evil ideologies have produced the most inhumane, vicious and barbaric actions.
The world needs to create tolerance and to support a moderate interpretation of religion. To resolve this, we need a coherent plan to fight radicalism and end the economic and political support for such ideologies.
Afghanistan is an example of a victim of radicalism. We have paid a very severe price that cannot be justified even under the scope of a war. Bombing mosques, schools, hospitals and public areas while innocent people are praying, studying and receiving treatment in those places cannot be justified under any law, religion or value. Shooting innocent women and children is not justified under any law or logic. Destroying public infrastructure, such as roads and electrical wires, is not within the scope of any war. But we have paid the price. The people of Afghanistan are hoping that, as in the past 18 years, the world community will continue its support for Afghanistan and help us to stabilize the country and end terrorism.
Sharing our experiences in such a conference and coordinating our efforts are the only ways to overcome the existing challenges.
May peace prevail in every corner of the globe. Thank you!
To go to the 2019 World Summit Schedule page, click here.