Speech by Jan van Zanen at the UCLG Municipal Peace Talks, 8 October 2024

 

Distinguished guests,

Excellencies,

Dear colleagues,

 

Thank you once again for being here in The Hague, the city of peace and justice.

It is truly heartwarming to see so many committed individuals together for a shared purpose:

building a new common agenda for peace at the local level.

In the Pact for the Future, the United Nations have expressed their ambitions for common peacebuilding.

The stakes are high. As long as there are still people in this world, who have to live under the horrors of violence and conflict, we cannot rest.

And, while nations come together to express their ambitions,

it is important to recognize that local and regional governments are also important agents in the process of peacebuilding. Whenever conflicts or tensions arise, it are the people in the streets, that have to suffer the consequences.

Therefore, our role is vital.

And today, during the Municipal Peace Talks, we take up our responsibility once again.

This morning, I had the privilege of discussing and finalizing the The Hague Charter on Municipal Peace,

right here in my own city, together with many international partners.

This Charter aims to share best practices, inspiring examples, and concrete recommendations.

It can feed into future local peace-building initiatives,

such as our World Forum on Cities and Territories of Peace.

Dear Emilia, I am happy to hand a copy to you, so that you can bring it further and can include it in the UCLG Peace Agenda.

I am happy to see this Forum grow, advance our own understanding of what really is local peacebuilding, and to contribute through our Charter.

I could not be prouder that we are creating a framework that not only highlights current successes, but also inspires others to take action.

Initiatives like our UCLG Peace Prize are great examples of what this Charter seeks to promote.

We need to bring these stories of success to the forefront so that they can inspire change everywhere.

They show us that community-driven projects can serve as the foundation for lasting peace.

While it is important to engage in high-level policy discussions,

it is clear that concrete changes are made when we give local communities a voice and a stake in their future.

So, as we move forward, let us make sure that our conversations and recommendations to organizations like the United Nations reflect this commitment,

and enable local and regional governments to be understood as actors.

Together, through our collective efforts, we can foster an environment where peace is not just an aspiration but a reality for communities around the world.

Each dialogue we start is a pathway to peace, inviting us to explore the richness of our diverse perspectives.

In the face of division, let us choose connection; for it is through unity only, that we can cultivate lasting peace.

Thank you.