Statement by the Director-General, Jan Beagle on International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace
As we observe today the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, we are reminded of how much remains to be done to build a true culture of peace and to advance and sustain the values of multilateral cooperation and global solidarity which underly the UN Charter and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Many longstanding conflicts appear to be as far as ever from peaceful solution. New violent conflicts are flaring up across the globe. Accelerating climate change, rising authoritarianism, declining trust in public institutions, economic upheavals that are accompanying the COVID19 pandemic, and the deepening inequalities so starkly exposed by this crisis, are all factors of instability and social tension that tend to reinforce each other and can easily turn into violent conflict.
There is at the same time, within and across societies, an increasingly strong and loud call for justice and change which must be heeded, and, if actively responded to, can help set the world on a new and more hopeful course.
As the only global intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law to sustain peace and development, IDLO is committed to doing its part to contribute to setting this new course.
We are engaged in advancing the rule of law as a principle of governance and as a foundation to build more peaceful, just, and inclusive societies at all levels, from the community to the national and global levels.
We believe and act on the conviction that advancing multilateralism requires a concerted, all-of society, all-of-government effort; that building more peaceful societies requires addressing the root causes of conflict, many of which are linked to injustice and exclusion; and that global problems can only be tackled through multilateral cooperation, by upholding a rules-based international system, and in the full respect for human rights and international law.
We will spare no effort to contribute to building and reinforcing partnerships within the multilateral system, and strengthening its capacity to resolve disputes by peaceful means and advance peace and security, development, and human rights in a mutually supporting way.
