In the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, whose devastating impact seems to be surpassing even the most ominous of estimations, another major concern remains the deterioration of global peace. In its 2020 report, the Global Peace Index raises concerns that the world has seen a fall in peacefulness for the fourth time in the last five years.
The MENA region remains a hot-spot of concern. The deterioration in the last decade is concentrated in a handful of countries, most notably Syria and Libya, which had score deterioration of more than 40 per cent. The situation is especially troublesome in Libya, where the reserved views and covert relations made this conflict a hot-spot of military and political strife on the African continent, with an impact on the far Asian continent and Europe.
The recent escalation of tensions draws even more attention to the dire need of establishing cooperation among the conflicting parties and fostering dialogue, and the international community’s pivotal role in providing a framework and support for development could not be overstated.
However, with the entire global focus currently shifted on the coronavirus pandemic, few are those who dedicate efforts to conflict resolution and promotion of the values of tolerance and peace, especially on an international level.
Among those rare few initiatives with an international scope of action, the recent initiative by the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace (GCTP) merits particular recognition. Namely, in an emergency session GCTP brought together an eminent group of experts in peace-building and conflict resolution as a response to the challenges of stability and peace in Libya, unanimously stating that it unreservedly and decisively stands behind the Libyan people and the approach that provides minimum interference of foreign actors and maximum strengthening of democratic processes and reconciliation dialogue. This initiative is led by the GCTP`s General Assembly, established last year at the UN headquarters in New York, from where it sent a message that it will unconditionally invest all its resources and efforts for universal promotion and advocacy for tolerance and peace.
It is especially important that the expert’s session follows the joint statement on Libya of the International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace, one of the bodies of GCTP, reflecting the common position of its 70 members of national parliaments, thus putting even more weight behind GCTP’s efforts for long-term reconciliation and the country`s renewal. It is an example of how international organizations should interfere, and restore confidence in the credibility and capacity of the international community.
Initiated at the behest of GCTP’s President H.E. Ahmed Aljarwan, who has built a world-renowned reputation as a Speaker of the Arab Parliament and Member of the Federal National Council of the UAE, this initiative serves as an example of how international organizations should provide assistance, restoring confidence in the credibility and capacity of the international community.