Mr. Habib Mayar, Deputy General Secretary of g7+ delivered remarks on 56th UN Human Righs Council side event-15 July 2024

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the co-sponsors of this pivotal event. The g7+ group, an intergovernmental organization representing 20 countries committed to the vision of lasting peace, stability, and resilience, is honored to be part of this collective effort to promote a culture of peace. I am deeply humbled to represent our group at this significant gathering.

Human rights and a culture of peace are intrinsically linked, each reinforcing and sustaining the other. Conversely, wars trap societies in a vicious cycle of feuds, leaving behind deep societal and social wounds. These wounds, if left unhealed, become sources of further divisions and conflicts.

Dialogue, truth, and reconciliation are the most effective means to break this cycle of wars and conflicts. This is especially true for countries that have endured decades of war and instability. Inspired by the experiences of countries that achieved lasting peace and stability through non-violent means, the g7+ has embraced dialogue and reconciliation as our core missions.

Decades of wars in countries of the Global South, whether imposed from outside or inherited as civil strife in the post-colonial period, have left behind deep societal and social divisions. These schisms often fuel future wars, even during periods of relative calm. Fragmentation in the form of ethnic, social, or racial divisions is frequently exploited by actors with malicious aims, leading countries back into conflict. The four decades of instability in my own country, Afghanistan, bear witness to this harsh reality.

Conversely, countries that have pursued processes of truth and reconciliation to heal the wounds left by war have achieved relative peace and stability. The experiences of South Africa, Rwanda, Timor-Leste, and Sierra Leone, among others, provide inspiring lessons. Despite enduring brutal periods of conflict for decades, these countries now experience peace and calm. Through the painstaking process of truth and social justice, citizens at the grassroots level who bear the utmost sacrifice of wars felt empowered, soothed, and included. I have personally heard from the victims of wars who lost their loved ones to conflict; how calmly they felt after participating in the process of truth and reconciliation. They found themselves included in the trajectory of the country. At scale, this process lays the foundation of respect for basic human rights, tolerance, dignity, and hence a culture of peace that would guide future generations towards lasting peace. Had the protagonists in these countries chosen antagonism over reconciliation, their citizens would still be haunted by their bitter past.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Matters of war and peace have increasingly become the prerogative of major powers, whose political agendas often overshadow the devastating human toll. Innocent citizens, who bear no responsibility for the conflicts they endure, are the true victims. The grave violations of human rights resulting from these wars cultivate hatred and antagonism, further dividing humanity along racial, religious, and social lines. The international community continues to fail in protecting the fundamental rights to life of these affected populations.

Global and regional powers, preoccupied with their national intersts and national secuirity, have often failed to give due consideration to the violation of human rights. We hope that global they will eventually find common ground and achieve lasting peace with one another. However, without truth, social justice, and reconciliation, millions will continue to live with the traumas of these conflicts.

This brings me to the last part of my remarks, where I would like to leave you all with three points summarizing the collective perspective of the g7+ on how to promote the culture of peace and respect for human rights:

1. Raise Our Voice for Dialogue and Reconciliation:  We must advocate for dialogue and reconciliation as means to resolving today’s conflicts. We need to activate all tracks of diplomacy to resolve interstate and intrastate conflicts. The g7+ group can be a vocal ally in this cause. Through our Council of Eminent Persons, we would welcome the opportunity to convene champions of peace or dignitaries who could contribute to this cause.
2. Prioritize National Ownership and Context-Specific Mechanisms: Lasting peace requires national ownership and context-specific solutions. Every country has its own means and mechanisms for resolving conflicts, pursuing social justice, and preventing future conflicts. The g7+ advocates for the principle of national ownership, rejecting a one-size-fits-all approach, and ensuring that local perspectives and the aspirations and needs of the people are at the forefront of peacebuilding and human rights initiatives. Behind-the-door deals should be denounced as they have proven ineffective.
3. Strengthen International Cooperation and Support for Education: To promote a culture of peace and respect for human rights, it is crucial to enhance international cooperation and provide targeted support to countries recovering from conflict in areas of education for peace. Education is the most powerful tool for fostering a culture of peace.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

There is an Afghan proverb, the English translation of which is “Blood cannot be washed out with blood,” meaning that two wrongs do not make a right. The world has been mired in antagonism and hatred and has been filled with weapons of mass destruction. If we give way to such antagonism, humanity has very little chance to survive. So let us roll up our sleeves to embrace humility, and a culture of tolerance, forgiveness, and peace.

I thank you for your attention.