Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and Common Citizenship

[ 62 ] — INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE FOR PEACE — ethnic and social tensions. Indeed, some religious practices and customs sanction various forms of discrimination and exclusion. Thus policymakers need to choose their partners with this in mind. Some FBOs may be challenged by work on issues that touch on sensitive areas such as health, includ- ing sexual and reproductive; HIV; and LGBT individuals or communities. How religious leaders and actors interpret the role of women within their faith and spiritual traditions, as well as the extent to which they promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, can have an enormous impact on the lives of women and girls. Regrettably, some faith actors, promote negative and harmful gender stereotypes and disregard the vulnerabil- ity of women in contexts where sexual and gender based violence are widespread. Examples are early or forced mar- riages and harmful traditional practices. Finally, what are the main lessons learned from my own experience in working in this area? Over the last few years, I have noticed an increase in the compliance and willingness of policymakers to consult and engage with religious leaders and actors on a range of issues including peace and security, social cohesion and human rights. Increasingly, political leaders see the potential of these actors to contribute to peace, social inclusion, and justice. From our perspective, we have learned the following: when partnering with religious leaders and actors as well as FBOs, we need to maintain an open attitude about beliefs and practices that are different to our own. We also need to be impartial when partnering with more than one faith, and seek a common ground in which we can work together. In this context, engaging religious actors alongside sec- ular actors helps to create a truly representative coalition and minimize religious differences. It is important to be fully inclusive and engage leaders from different faiths and spiritual traditions, including religious minorities, and to encourage the participation of women and youth. Establish- ing minimum quotas for female representation is essential if we want the voices of women to be represented. Entry points for collaboration are easier to find around non-controversial common priorities, such as prevention of incitement to violence, poverty eradication and reduction of inequalities. I would like once again to thank my colleagues at KAICIID and to renew the commitment of the United Nations to engage with religious leaders. As I was saying this morning to my good friend, the Secretary General of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, William Vendley, it is time for this world to be more spiritual. It is time to bring about more spirituality within the United Nations and to make sure that within the Security Council, which has the primary responsibility for peace and security, we feel that the virtues are there and that spirituality will guide the decisions of the council. What we have seen in past days, be it in Syria or Myanmar with the persecution of the Rohingya — these are situa- tions that are simply unacceptable. And I am sure that, if we succeed in bringing more virtue and spirituality into that very important organ, the United Nations, the world will be better than it is today. Mr. Adama Dieng Mr. Adama Dieng is a Senegalese jurist. In September 2012 he was appointed as United Nations Under Secretary General and Special Adviser to the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide. Prior to this appointment, from 2001, he served as Assistant Secretary General and Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Before joining the United Nations, Mr. Dieng was the Secretary General of the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists, from 1990 to 2000. During his tenure, he was appointed as United Nations Independent Expert for Haiti, from 1995 to 2000, and was also appointed as the Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General to Malawi, in 1993. He was the driving force behind the establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights as well as the draft African Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption. Mr. Dieng is a former Board member of various institutions, including the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, the International Human Rights Institute (Institut René Cassin) and the Africa Leadership Forum. Mr. Dieng is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Review of the Red Cross. In recognition of his contribution to strengthening the rule of law and the fight against impunity, he was appointed an Honorary Chairman of the Washington-based World Justice Project.