We Continue to Face Armed Conflicts and Manifestations of Hate Speech, says Zohrab Mnatsakanyan

On September 8, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, chairing the FMK summit, participated in and delivered a speech at the UN Security Council's open discussion titled "UN and Regional and Sub-regional Organizations: The Role of the International Organization of La Francophonie." This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

The Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of initiating discussions on cooperation between the UN and the OIF, expressing gratitude to the UN Secretary-General's Assistant for African Affairs and the Secretary-General of La Francophonie for their immensely valuable speeches.

Mnatsakanyan also highly appreciated the role of Niger in organizing the discussion, considering its capital, Niamey, as the birthplace of La Francophonie in 1970, which later laid the foundation for the establishment of the Organization of La Francophonie, celebrating its fifth decade this year.

“Fifty years after its establishment, La Francophonie serves as an important platform for multilateral cooperation, united around the French language and fundamental values such as peace, democracy, respect for human rights, and equality between men and women. The relations between the United Nations and La Francophonie are based on numerous actors sharing common values, united by a mutual desire to work towards strengthening peace and international security, fighting against the scourge of terrorism and the determination to prevent genocides and crimes against humanity. It is also rooted in a solid and unwavering commitment to achieving sustainable development goals,” he stated.

Mnatsakanyan highlighted the particular importance of conducting such discussions amid the current serious global health, humanitarian, and economic crises, which threaten to undermine social cohesion, emphasizing the necessity for international cooperation and effective multilateralism.

He described the aforementioned discussion in the UN Security Council as a unique call to action, a test of universal resilience and collective capacities. “In this period, when the negative consequences of the crisis weigh heavily on developing countries and the most vulnerable segments of the population, the UN and La Francophonie must reaffirm their commitment to promoting peace and cooperation, solidarity and the values of living together; this is a challenge for both organizations, and we must act more effectively in the direction of global governance.

In this regard, we have strongly supported the UN Secretary-General's call for a global ceasefire, as well as the relevant resolution of the UN Security Council, reaffirming that the use of force and the threat of force have no place in the peace process. We are also concerned about the increase in hate speech, which has especially manifested during this health crisis. Today, more than ever, it is crucial to emphasize our commitment to tolerance, respect for human rights, and the values of cultural diversity. Despite significant efforts of the multilateral system, we continue to face armed conflicts, destabilizing military escalations, and manifestations of hate speech at the highest political levels, including within our immediate vicinity,” Mnatsakanyan noted.

In this context, he emphasized the importance of the summit in Yerevan dedicated to promoting the values of “Living Together” and the Armenian Francophone call to “Live Together,” which enshrines that the ideology of living together in the Francophone area embodies peace, solidarity, and holistic humanism, and these values constitute a common good that must be preserved at all costs. The minister added that “this is evidently an important platform for cooperation between the United Nations and La Francophonie, around which our visions and objectives converge.”

Concluding his remarks, Mnatsakanyan reaffirmed Armenia's commitment to enhancing cooperation between the two organizations, expressing confidence that, thanks to today’s discussion and the joint efforts of the Secretary-General of La Francophonie and the UN Secretary-General, this cooperation will be further strengthened, opening up new promising prospects for collaboration.