HRH Premier's International Day of Conscience initiative praised

Manama, June 14 (BNA): A number of Permanent Representatives to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) praised the initiative of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa concerning the International Day of Conscience, and its significance in evoking the importance of awareness in order to establish a culture of peace and tolerance and promote dialogue between Cultures and civilizations. They said the initiative comes at a time the world needs to promote peace, inclusion, solidarity and understanding in order to build a sustainable world. They affirmed that the great welcome of the Prime Minister’s initiative from members of UNESCO’s Executive Council’s Preparatory Committee, during its meeting last Friday, reflects large scale international appreciation of the efforts undertaken by the Kingdom of Bahrain in supporting global peace, security and stability. They stressed that the committee’s endorsement of a recommendation to adopt in the council’s next session a resolution on the International Day of Conscience, especially in this hard time due to the coronavirus pandemic, indicates the importance of this initiative at the international level. They also emphasised that the initiative will contribute to the integration and inclusion of the principles of peace and conscience in education. They added it will focus the light on the existing links between peace, conscience and sustainable development, which was demonstrated by the consensus the Bahraini proposal received during the discussions of the preparatory group and the agreement of the attendees on the importance of the organisation’s endorsement of the Bahraini decision. Moroccan Permanent Representative to UNESCO Ambassador Samir Al-Dahr, the President of the Arab Group, expressed on behalf of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Arab delegations to UNESCO, sincere thanks and appreciation to His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa for his distinguished initiative regarding the International Day of Conscience, which was highly welcomed by members of the UNESCO’s Executive Council’s Preparatory Committee. He affirmed that it is an initiative within the fields and competence of the organisation and underscores the principles of respect for human rights and fundamental freedom regardless of race, gender, language or religion. He said: "The purpose of declaring an International Day of Conscience for UNESCO is to evoke the importance of awareness in order to establish a culture of peace and love, as well as ensure dialogue between cultures and civilizations. The adoption of an International Day of Conscience by the United Nations General Assembly and the proposal to celebrate it at UNESCO is an international achievement added to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s track-record of global accomplishments.” This initiative, he noted, affirms that Bahrain seeks to remind the world in these difficult circumstances of the necessity to establish the principles of peace, tolerance, solidarity based on love and human conscience among peoples in the world. He also pointed out that the initiative of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister boosts the Kingdom’s international standing as a country advocating international peace and stability in order to achieve the goals of sustainable development for all. He stressed that the Kingdom of Morocco will continue its efforts to adopt the draft resolution in the Executive Council’s meeting unanimously, thanking Deputy Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to UNESCO, Shaikha Wafa bint Abdullah Al Khalifa, for her commendable efforts to explain this initiative to the member states of the Executive Council. He also thanked the representative of the Prime Minister's Court for attending the tele-meeting. For his part, Kuwaiti Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Dr. Adam Al-Mulla, expressed sincerest congratulations to the Kingdom of Bahrain on the endorsement of the International Day of Conscience, and said: "This is not new to the contributions and achievements of Bahrain at the international level, in general, and at the level of UNESCO, in particular." He stressed that the initiative of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister comes at a time the world is in dire need to promote peace, inclusion, solidarity and understanding in order to build a sustainable world. He added including the Bahraini request in the agenda of UNESCO’s Executive Council’s Preparatory Committee and, then, approving it in these difficult times because of the coronavirus pandemic demonstrates its importance internationally. He said: "By celebrating the International Day of Conscience, UNESCO will be able to include this initiative to promote it in different societies through its various programmes in education, culture, science and communication to foster respect of human rights and fundamental freedom for all people without distinction regardless of race, gender, language or religion.” Egyptian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Ehab Badawi, hailed the approval of the preparatory group of the organisation's executive council of a recommendation on the council’s endorsement in the next session of a resolution on the International Day of Conscience, presented by the Kingdom of Bahrain, without discussion. He offered congratulations to the Kingdom and its permanent delegation to UNESCO on the achievement. Badawi - whose country holds the position of Vice-President of the Executive Council on behalf of the Arab group in the organisation - added that the recommendation was passed given the consensus on the Bahraini proposal in the discussions of the preparatory group and the agreement of the attendees on the importance of the organisation adopting the Bahraini decision. He pointed out that the Arab Republic of Egypt appreciates the initiative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to declare the fifth of April every year an International Day of Conscience. The initiative, he stressed, “will mobilize the international community’s efforts to promote the values of peace, tolerance, integration, understanding and solidarity in order to build a sustainable world based on peace, solidarity and harmony.” He said: "The absolute Egyptian support to the Bahraini decision was not only based on distinguished relations between Egypt and Bahrain and permanent cooperation between the delegations of both countries in UNESCO but also out of a firm conviction of the importance of the initiative of His Royal Highness the Prime Minister in this regard, which will contribute to achieving several desired goals, including mainly raising awareness of the importance of building a culture of peace with love and conscience in accordance with the customs followed in different societies.” He pointed out that the Egyptian delegation will continue during the upcoming period constructive coordination with the Bahraini delegation to UNESCO to adopt two resolutions by both the Executive Council and the General Conference in their next sessions concerning the International Day of Conscience. And active participation in various relevant events that will be organised At UNESCO headquarters. Badawi praised the distinguished relations between the two countries and the high-level of coordination between their permanent delegations to UNESCO. For his part, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mali to UNESCO, Ambassador Omar Kaita, expressed his country's sincere congratulations to the Kingdom of Bahrain on the initiative of the International Day of Conscience, which represents an added value to the UN initiatives to promote a culture of peace, nonviolence and coexistence in the world. He affirmed that with the adoption of the International Day of Conscience, the world has full responsibility to mobilise its efforts continuously in order to achieve harmony, tolerance and peace. He said: "Mali is pleased to see that the Kingdom of Bahrain looks forward to placing UNESCO at the heart of celebrating the International Day of Conscience. UNESCO's rich experience, which is based on more than seventy years of work for peace around the world, qualifies it to host activities to celebrate this day." Venezuelan Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Amb. Hector Alejandro Constant Rosales, affirmed his country's support for the draft resolution submitted by the Kingdom of Bahrain on the International Day of Conscience, which seeks to promote peace and respect for diversity. He noted that moving forward towards establishing human conscience as a source of ideas and thus humanitarian actions, is an important matter. It is necessary to build bridges of dialogue and friendship between peoples.