STATEMENT BY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG AT OPENING OF CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION ENTITLED “EMIR ABDELKADER”

Following is the statement by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, which he delivered at the opening of the conference and exhibition entitled “Emir Abdelkader” at the Palais des Nations on Monday, 3 April:

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Palais des Nations this evening on the occasion of the opening of the conference and exhibition, which pay homage to the life and works of Emir Abdelkader, as well as his role as a famous advocate of humanitarian law and inter-religious dialogue. I should like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and thanks to Ambassador Jazaïry and the Permanent Mission of Algeria for this valuable contribution to the Cultural Activities Programme at the United Nations Office at Geneva.

This evening’s event holds special significance, not only because it provides us with an opportunity to pay tribute to the virtues of Emir Abdelkader as a human being as well as a leader, poet and scholar, but also because, in doing so, we reiterate our commitment to the protection of human rights, and the promotion of international humanitarian law, as well as intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. The reputation of Emir Abdelkader, as well as his lifetime’s work devoted to global human interests, speak for themselves. Indeed, he was and continues to be, a symbol of tolerance, spirituality, conciliation and inclusiveness, with a strong emphasis on innovation. He was a visionary and a pioneer—as is confirmed in his commitment to the rules governing the treatment of prisoners of war, among others. His works reflect his belief that religion does not exclude science, that science does not exclude humanism, that faith does not exclude tolerance, and that pragmatism does not exclude spiritualism. Indeed, Emir Abdelkader’s work is as relevant today as ever.

We live in a world in which we are experiencing increasing intolerance, extremism and violence due to prejudices in various societies, as well as a lack of mutual understanding and respect for our cultural and religious diversity. In a world of interdependent threats and challenges, these only serve to slow our progress towards achieving peace, security, and economic and social development globally. The United Nations—as its name suggests—is tasked with bringing together all the peoples of the world, which means people of different nationalities, cultural and religious beliefs and backgrounds. This is of course not always an easy task given that our diversity—influenced by our cultural disposition and makeup—is also what governs the different ways in which we may approach, communicate or tackle issues. However, this is also where our strength lies, since through dialogue not only do we learn to get to know one another but we also build respect and understanding. We all must strive towards an alliance of social, political and civil forces to counter policies and actions which isolate cultures and societies from one another.

Emir Abdelkader is known to have wished for the East and West to build a common destiny, which would urge them to construct a future together. Indeed, his aspiration remains as relevant a challenge for us today as it was during his time. Our common humanity must triumph over perceived differences and this is where we can be inspired by the teachings of Emir Abdelkader.

I have no doubt that this evening’s conference and exhibition will serve as a reminder and inspiration to us all in our endeavours to advance values of humanitarian law, human welfare and freedom everywhere, as well as to encourage tolerance, respect, dialogue and cooperation among different cultures and civilizations.”


For use of the information media; not an official record

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