Global Council for Tolerance and Peace calls for strengthening values of peaceful coexistence
Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Jarwan, President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, urged sustained investment in peace on the International Day of Peace, calling on parliaments and institutions to embed tolerance in law and education.
International Day of Peace sparks call for practical action
Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Jarwan, President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, said the International Day of Peace on 21 September should be more than a symbolic observance. In a statement issued by the Council from Abu Dhabi, he underlined that this year’s United Nations theme, ‘Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,’ demands translation into tangible policies and sustained cultural change across societies and institutions.
Al Jarwan observed that the contemporary international landscape faces mounting challenges that require renewed emphasis on dialogue, diplomacy and respect for international law. He argued that restoring the primacy of these tools is essential to place human security, dignity and the future of communities at the heart of global action.
He set out a practical starting point for genuine investment in peace: education. Empowering young people, fostering tolerance and acceptance, and combating hate speech and misinformation were identified as fundamental measures. These, he said, must be matched by support for national and international institutions engaged in peacebuilding and conflict prevention.
Signalling a particular role for elected bodies, Al Jarwan urged parliaments to enact legislation that advances tolerance and peaceful coexistence. He highlighted parliamentary diplomacy and inter‑parliamentary cooperation as important mechanisms to build bridges between countries and peoples, and to help resolve disputes by peaceful means—thereby contributing to security, stability and sustainable development.
The Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, together with its International Parliament which it said spans a network in more than 120 countries, reaffirmed its commitment to work with parliaments, governments, academic institutions, civil society organisations and international partners. Its stated aim is to promote a culture of tolerance and to strengthen dialogue and cooperation among peoples.
By issuing its call from Abu Dhabi, the Council framed the International Day of Peace as an occasion not merely for reflection but for concrete action. The emphasis was on converting rhetorical support for peace into institutional measures—through education, legislation and sustained international cooperation—that embed coexistence as a living societal norm.