UN General Assembly
1995

the environment, carefully nuanced to regional and local circumstances. Here, the Secretary-General has led the way in his ground-breaking report. Let me dwell on a few aspects of the issue of development that are of particular interest to my own country. First a word on the role of democracy. Democracies, it is sometimes said, do not make wars. By promoting democracy we also foster peace. This is in part because two of the main pillars of democracy are tolerance and respect for the customs, traditions and opinions of others. But tolerance and respect for diversity must not be misinterpreted. We live in a world of rich cultural diversity, which we should relish and protect. However, multiculturalism should never be used as a pretext for compromising basic and universal human rights. Iceland attaches continued importance to international efforts to create a global environment conducive to job-led economic growth. But economic growth must never be our sole objective, without regard to human values. Environmental protection is another main concern. Important strides have been made in this area since the