UN General Assembly
2014

up to the reality of a new form of terrorism, some media and think tanks oversimplified the tragic moment by interpreting all subsequent and problematic situations in terms of a clash of civilizations. That view ignored long-standing and profound experiences of good relations between cultures, ethnic groups and religions and interpreted other complex situations through that lens, situations such as the Middle East question and civil conflicts occurring elsewhere. What, then, are the paths open to us? First and foremost, there is the path of promoting dialogue and understanding among cultures, which is implicit in the Preamble and Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations. That path must become an ever more explicit objective of the international community and of Governments if we are truly committed to peace in the world. The natural growth and enrichment of culture is the fruit of all components of civil society working together. International organizations and States have the task of promoting and supporting, in a decisive way and with the necessary financial means, those initiatives and movements that promote dialogue and