Event highlights role of dialogue among cultures

As conflicts, geopolitical tensions and technological disruptions reshape the international landscape, China, African countries and the United Nations are increasingly promoting dialogue among civilizations as a critical tool for strengthening global cooperation, advancing modernization and building a more peaceful and inclusive world.

The call came during celebrations marking the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations at the United Nations Office at Nairobi on Wednesday, where diplomats, development experts and international officials warned that rising conflicts, widening inequalities and rapid technological advances are testing the international system and underscoring the need for greater understanding among cultures.

The International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations falls on Wednesday. It was proposed by China and cosponsored by more than 80 countries, and was adopted at the UN General Assembly in June 2024.

Addressing the event via video, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on countries to improve understanding and foster mutual trust through dialogue amid unprecedented global challenges.

Wang said countries should promote unity and seek consensus through exchanges while strengthening the social and cultural foundations for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Wang also highlighted the role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and social media in promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning, while reaffirming China's willingness to deepen cooperation with other countries on governance and modernization.

Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said dialogue among civilizations remains essential for fostering mutual understanding, strengthening people-to-people ties and building a shared future for humanity.

She said China remains committed to working with diplomatic missions, international organizations and development partners in Kenya to advance dialogue among civilizations and deepen mutual understanding.

"Development serves as the foundation, security provides the guarantee, civilization acts as a bridge, and governance offers the institutional support," she said.

According to Guo, all countries, regardless of size, wealth or level of development, should have equal rights to participate in international affairs and determine their own development trajectories.

Kenya also used the occasion to underscore the importance of dialogue in promoting peace and development.

Collective action urged

Kenya's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Nairobi and the United Nations Environment Programme, Ida Betty Odinga, emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing global challenges and strengthening international cooperation.

She said humanity is inherently interconnected and argued that nations can achieve more when they cooperate in pursuit of common goals. "Despite our differences, humanity shares common aspirations for peace, coexistence and development."

Odinga urged governments and institutions to invest in education, cultural exchange and international cooperation as they are key pillars for strengthening understanding among peoples and nations.

In a message marking the day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world is living through a period of "turbulence and transformation" characterized by escalating conflicts, growing inequalities and the emergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence and clean energy that present humanity with critical choices about the future.

"Too often, differences are misunderstood, or manipulated to undermine global solidarity," Guterres said. "But there is a path forward — dialogue." He said that dialogue among nations, cultures and faiths has the power to replace confrontation with cooperation and tension with trust, while helping build a more just and peaceful world.