New York (VNA) - Vietnamese Ambassador Dang DinhQuy underlined the importance of religion and belief in promoting peace, understanding,tolerance, and mutual respect among communities while addressing an UN SecurityCouncil (UNSC) meeting on March 19.
The Ambassador, who is the Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, voiced the view that efforts should be made to address the root of religious conflict and hatred, to further facilitate people's participation in religious activities at the local, national and global levels, and to strengthen cooperation and dialogue among religious groups.
Stressing that Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups with different religions and beliefs, who are living peacefully and harmoniously together, the diplomat affirmed that Vietnam always spares no effort to promote solidarity and equality, and create favourable conditions for the operations of groups of different religions and beliefs.
The virtual Arria-formula meeting on “Religion, Belief andConflict: the protection of members of religious and belief groups in conflictand religious actors in conflict resolution” was initiated by the UK and co-sponsoredby Estonia, Norway and the US.
Chaired by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, UK Minister of State atthe Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the event gathered representativesof all UNSC member states and invited speakers.
Guest speakers spoke highly of religious communities’contribution to peace progress, humanitarian works, and development cause inmany nations and territories worldwide. With some expressing concerns overincreasing terrorism and violent extremism related to religion andbelief in recent years, they emphasised the importance of ensuring freedom ofreligion and belief and called on the international community to strengthen theprotection of religious groups and communities in conflict.
Participating member nations also backed the freedom ofreligion and belief, and underlined the need to promote efforts to fight violent extremism. Theysaid they opposed all forms of attacks and oppression against religious groupsand communities in conflict.
Arria-formula meetings are informal meetings of the UNSecurity Council with the attendance of the council’s members, other UN memberstates, and international organisations to look into important and emergingissues./.
Stressing that Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups with different religions and beliefs, who are living peacefully and harmoniously together, the diplomat affirmed that Vietnam always spares no effort to promote solidarity and equality, and create favourable conditions for the operations of groups of different religions and beliefs.
The virtual Arria-formula meeting on “Religion, Belief andConflict: the protection of members of religious and belief groups in conflictand religious actors in conflict resolution” was initiated by the UK and co-sponsoredby Estonia, Norway and the US.
Chaired by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, UK Minister of State atthe Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the event gathered representativesof all UNSC member states and invited speakers.
Guest speakers spoke highly of religious communities’contribution to peace progress, humanitarian works, and development cause inmany nations and territories worldwide. With some expressing concerns overincreasing terrorism and violent extremism related to religion andbelief in recent years, they emphasised the importance of ensuring freedom ofreligion and belief and called on the international community to strengthen theprotection of religious groups and communities in conflict.
Participating member nations also backed the freedom ofreligion and belief, and underlined the need to promote efforts to fight violent extremism. Theysaid they opposed all forms of attacks and oppression against religious groupsand communities in conflict.
Arria-formula meetings are informal meetings of the UNSecurity Council with the attendance of the council’s members, other UN memberstates, and international organisations to look into important and emergingissues./.
VNA
