UN stresses importance of mulitlateralism and dialogue to promote culture of peace and trust

The event is devoted to the International Day of Neutrality and is part of marking the International Day of Peace and Trust. The Conference, which started with the high-level plenary session opened by the President of Turkmenistan, has gathered the high-level speakers representing from the United Nations, European Union, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States and diplomatic missions in the country.

“Peace and Trust are the fundamental principles enshrined in the UN Charter and subsequent agreements adopted over many decades. These ideas are pre-requisites for promoting multilateralism based on mutual understanding, respect for international law and a sincere desire to maintain peace and security, promote the rights of people and sustainable development”, noted Mr. Dmitry Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan.

On the sides of the High-level Conference, the Government of Turkmenistan has signed a number of bilateral documents with the UN entities, including the Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations on cooperation in the area of climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the Joint Work plans with UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and FAO.

The high-level forum was followed by three parallel plenary sessions titled: “Policy of Peace and Trust: Neutrality and Preventive Diplomacy in Peacebuilding”; “Inseparable link between a culture of peace and the sustainable development agenda”; and “Human dimension of the processes of building a universal culture of peace and trust”.

The Conference concluded with adoption of the Outcome Document emphasizing that the development of the culture of peace and trust in international relations is inextricably linked with the policy of neutrality, as a value that contributes to sustainable development, peace and security through the strengthening of solidarity and harmony.