Ms. Sahiba Gafarova, Chairperson of the NAM PN delivered a speech at the 146th IPU Assembly

On March 12, Ms. Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chairperson of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network, delivered a speech at the 146th IPU Assembly held in Manama, Bahrain.

Ms. Sahiba Gafarova addressed the 146th Assembly covering the subject of ‘Promoting peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies: fighting intolerance’.

Chairperson of the NAM PN stressed that as our world becomes intensely interconnected and complex, the issue of peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies may not be addressed as a mere domestic social process. This issue has become a crucial factor globally, one that is also closely interlinked with our hopes for a better world of peace, justice, stability and sustainable development.

Ms. Sahiba Gafarova expressed that the modern upsurge in radicalism, xenophobia, racism, Islamophobia, discrimination and hatred is a result of the rejection of multiculturalism as an idea. Chairperson underlined that now we may observe evidently that the opponents of multiculturalism were wrong and as a result of inappropriate policies the world has become more divided, intolerant and instable.

Chairperson of the NAM PN spoke about the ways to overcome intolerance and to attain peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies. First and foremost, diversity should be accepted as an enriching factor rather than a divisive one, whilst providing equal rights and opportunities to all and doing so indiscriminately. It is as essential to promote dialogues between representatives of various cultures, ethnic groups and religions since such are the basic preconditions for the emergence and existence of democratic, just and peaceful societies.