The United Nations marked its first-ever "International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations" on Tuesday.
In 2024, the 78th UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a China-led resolution with 82 co-sponsors, establishing June 10 as the annual International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations.
A special event was held Monday at the UN headquarters in New York to celebrate the day meant to serve as a clarion call for promoting peaceful co-existence among all nations through global discourse, greater cooperation and mutual respect.
The Chinese mission to the UN also hosted celebration activities on Monday, attended by over 1,000 people, including senior diplomats from various UN missions, UN Secretariat officials, and local New Yorkers.
"We do hope that this spirit of dialogue will be carried forward, and as people say, will yield some concrete results in harmonizing relations among countries," said Fu Cong, permanent representative of China to the UN.
The day was observed around the world. The premier event in New York included a symposium with dignitaries and academics. They discussed the need to fortify "global solidarity and cooperation" through shared values and open communication.
"There is no alternative. More and more we need dialogue. We need to respect each other. It's over - the hegemony of one country, one culture or one civilization, it's over. Today, everybody says we are a multipolar world -- different actors, different cultures, different relations, different civilizations, so it's a reality," said UN Under Secretary General Miguel Angel Moratinos.
Attendees said musical performances, drama and multimedia artwork on display also help underscore the importance of using cultural awareness as a bridge to dialogue.
"Any dialogue starts with the understanding of each other, and of course, without knowing the history and culture, you wouldn't be able to find this common ground," said Anna Evstigneeva, deputy permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN.
UN marks inaugural International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations
UN marks inaugural International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations
