International Day of Conscience to be observed on April 5

Manama, Apr. 2 (BNA): The first edition of the International Day of Conscience will be observed on April 5. The occasion was approved by the United Nations in response to an initiative by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa to motivate the international community to promote peace, tolerance, cooperation, security and stability. The initiative embodies keenness of the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, to contribute effectively to fostering global peace and stability. In a statement marking the occasion, the UN affirmed that the International Day of Conscience is an opportunity to mobilize the international community’s efforts to bolster peace, tolerance, integration and understanding so as to build a world based on solidarity and co-existence. It called on the member states as well as international and regional organizations, the private sector, the civil society institutions and individuals to promote a culture of peace and tolerance. It urged to boost stability and welfare, calling for the establishment of peaceful relations between countries based on respect of human rights and freedom regardless of ethnicity, gender, language or religion. The UN endorsed on July 25th, 2019 a draft resolution submitted by the Kingdom of Bahrain to observe the International Day of Conscience on April 5, in response to an initiative by HRH the Premier. The move is considered a new achievement to the kingdom in backing peace. It affirmed in the endorsement’s preamble that the International Day of Conscience is a means to mobilize the international efforts regularly to foster peace, tolerance, integration, understanding and solidarity in order to build a sustainable world based on peace, solidarity and cohesion. The UN stressed the importance of promoting a culture of peace through a comprehensive educational, social and civil action. President of the UN General Assembly, then, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés hailed HRH the Premier’s initiative, stressing that April 5th would provide the international community with the opportunity to foster peace, tolerance, integration, understanding and solidarity. For his part, High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, lauded the initiative as a means to mobilize the international community’s efforts to promote peace, tolerance, integration, understanding and solidarity. He said those are the same values adopted by the UN Alliance of Civilisations to build a just, peaceful and integrated society to support achieving goal 16 of the sustainable development plan 2030. Meanwhile, the UN Undersecretary-General and former Chief Executive of the UN-Habitat programme described HRH the Premier’s initiative as an important step towards a conflict-free world. Many politicians and diplomats affirmed that the UN’s endorsement of the initiative is a recognition of HRH the Premier’s unflinching efforts to achieve peace and promote tolerance and co-existence. It also reflects the high international status enjoyed by HRH the Prime Minister for his peace-promoting efforts.