It invited Governments and organizations to implement cultural, educational and social programmes to promote the concept of dialogue among civilizations. In implementing that resolution, the Secretary-General appointed a Personal Representative, Giandomenico Picco, to launch initiatives aimed at furthering such a dialogue, the idea for which had been put forward by President Mohammad Khatami of Iran. Mr. Picco has just completed a visit to Tehran during which he held talks with the Iranian President and other officials on steps to advance the concept of dialogue among civilizations. The Secretary-General will submit his first report on the subject to the Assembly in the coming days. A press release on the Picco trip is available in room 378.
Today is the International Day of Tolerance.
To mark the occasion, the non-governmental organization Friends of the United Nations is sponsoring a luncheon where the 1999 Global Peace and Tolerance Lifetime Achievement Awards will be given to seven honourees who use their creative talent to further peace and tolerance. The Permanent Representative of Seychelles, Ambassador Claude Morel, will make a statement on behalf of Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab. In those remarks, the President says the solutions to conflicts do not lie in peacekeeping alone or greater application of military force, but in building and strengthening that peace, which begins in the minds of men and women and which can only be nurtured by the acceptance of Universal Human Rights and by the proper values of respect for diversity, affection for each other and tolerance. Copies of the statement are available in room 378.