Brotherhood isn’t just a word. It is the practice of promoting peace, harmony and intercultural dialogue in the world. To solidify this bond and to promote Muslim- Christian cooperation, The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 4 February as the ‘International Day for Human Fraternity’. This day will be observed each year starting from 2021.
This initiative by the UN gained momentum after Pope Francis and the grand imam of Al Azhar signed the “Document on Human Fraternity” in 2019, in the name of fraternity and social friendship. Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF), affirmed that the adoption of the UN resolution proclaiming 4 February as International Day of Human Fraternity is a testament to HCHF’s achievements.
The resolution supports intercultural and interreligious dialogue between the member nations who are invited by the UN to observe the day. The resolution was introduced by the representatives of the United Arab Emirates against the growing religious hatred during the time of pandemic.
“In recent years, the world has been witnessing a dramatic increase in violence, hate speech, xenophobia, religious bigotry, and other forms of discrimination. In the face of such transnational threats, we need to support initiatives that encourage solidarity and unity among people in the spirit of “human fraternity”. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt aspire, through this initiative, to celebrate together our shared values of acceptance, openness, empathy, and love towards other human beings,” said H.E. Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN.
The UN passed the resolution with consensus, highlighting the importance of raising awareness about different cultures and religions or beliefs. This includes education in the promotion of tolerance, which involves the acceptance and respect for religious and cultural diversity and expression. It brings out the importance of educating the masses on the need for building unity, solidarity and multilateral cooperation. The resolution will become a symbol that recognizes all the contributions made by the many religious sectors in the world and will help to create a space for new dialogues on better awareness and understanding of the humankind.
“We thank the United Arab Emirates, who through the UAE Mission to the United Nations, made this new achievement in the service of humanity,” said Abdel Salam.
The resolution was co-sponsored by 34 UN Member States.
