The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, speaks about his upcoming visit to the Holy See, and his appreciation of Pope Francis, in this interview conducted in collaboration with Italy’s “La Stampa” newspaper.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in Rome you will meet Pope Francis, who has always been a strong voice in support of multilateralism and humanitarian efforts. He has often said that we need to build bridges, instead of walls. What are you planning to discuss with him and how could he help the objectives of the United Nations?
«I wanted to meet with the Holy Father to express my appreciation for his work. He is a strong voice on the climate crisis, on poverty and inequality, on multilateralism, on the protection of refugees and migrants, on disarmament and many other important issues. Through his work, the Pope is contributing to reaching many of our objectives, including the Sustainable Development Goals, combating climate change and promoting a culture of peace. Building bridges is a good analogy, and, as we discuss the issues I just mentioned, I hope to explore how we can increase our collaboration to do just that: build bridges to achieve more results for people who need them most».
Freedom of religion is under threat in the world: what are the negative impacts of this threat and how should it be addressed?
«Freedom of religion is another topic I hope to discuss with Pope Francis. I’m deeply concerned by a rise in intolerance that includes direct attacks on people based on nothing more than their religious beliefs or affiliations. The deadly attacks on mosques in New Zealand, synagogues in the US, and the Easter church bombings in Sri Lanka demonstrate the urgency of acting so that everyone, no matter their religious beliefs, is able to fully enjoy his or her human rights. Diversity is a richness, not a threat. It breaks my heart to see increasing numbers of individuals publicly humiliated, harassed and attacked simply because of their religion or beliefs. Jews have been murdered in synagogues, their gravestones defaced with swastikas; Muslims gunned down in mosques, their religious sites vandalized; Christians killed at prayer, their churches torched. In the past months, I have launched two initiatives: An action plan to support efforts to safeguard religious sites and uphold the right to religious freedom; and a UN system-wide strategy to tackle hate speech. Working with my High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, the action plan aims to support Member States in ensuring that worshipers can observe their rituals in peace. Houses of worship around the world must be safe havens for reflection and peace, not sites of bloodshed and terror. We also need strong investments in social cohesion to ensure diverse communities feel their identities are respected, that they do the same for others in return and that they have a stake in society as a whole. The recent declaration by His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Professor Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed el-Tayeb, was an extremely important contribution for peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and understanding between different religious communities in the world. Education must be a key part of our efforts to combat hate speech. I intend to convene a conference on the role of education in addressing and building resilience against hate speech».
-By Paolo Mastrolilli – New York
