Croatian President in New York on conflict prevention.
Conflicts can be prevented if we act in time, with courage, solidarity and in dialogue, said on Wednesday at the UN headquarters Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and called for strengthening the role of the UN through the rule of law, education and training, so that the world could answer the challenges of the future, reports Index.hr on September 30, 2015.
At the annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Croatian president has participated in several panels and in a number of initiatives and meetings of world leaders, and on Wednesday spoke at the plenary session of the UN which is now focused on the goals of sustainable development after 2015.
World leaders need to ask themselves whether they have done enough to prevent conflicts, to protect our only Earth from climate change, to end poverty, violence, impunity, to educate all children and young people for the challenges of the future. “We live in a world that is so rich in possibilities and beauties, natural and those created by man, but despite everything we are witnessing one atrocity after another”, said Grabar-Kitarović. She warned that inaction can bring serious consequences.
“Too often, instead of solving problems at their source and dealing with causes at an early stage, we spend more time and resources on the crises which we have allowed to get out of control. This is because we have ignored the early signs, or simply did not have the time or even the courage to get involved”, she said. “Migrant crisis is a perfect example of the consequences of inaction”, said the president. Europe is exposed to the crisis because of “the tragic consequences of unresolved conflicts”. “We urgently need to work together in the fight against the Islamic State,” she said. It is equally important to give the nations hope and to remove the preconditions for radicalization.
All children must be included in education, but that process should include the education for the future, and that means learning about tolerance, humanity, solidarity, cooperation, respect for life and the planet, said the president at the UN.
Croatia is committed to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, to the completion of the process of Euro-Atlantic integration of Southeast Europe, as well as to the equality of all three constituent peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said the president in her speech. She has called on leaders to “embrace solidarity” and to start “a dialogue with their opponents”.
