Inspired by Pope Francis and a prominent Sunni imam’s fraternity proclamation, the U.N. Security Council held a high-level briefing on Wednesday to explore “human fraternity” and peace.
On June 14, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres advised the council to consider the 2019 human fraternity declaration signed by the pope and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, in Abu Dhabi as “a model for compassion and human solidarity.”
After the June 14 briefing, the security council unanimously passed a U.A.E.-UK resolution denouncing hate speech, racism, gender discrimination, and extremism.
According to the Security Council Report, some members were concerned that the term “human fraternity” could be interpreted as endorsing the entire 2019 document, including its condemnation of abortion.
France also protested that the term “fraternity” was too unclear and might be interpreted differently, that religious questions have no place in the security council, and that the resolution was “too weak” on women’s rights, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
In a message read by Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Pope Francis urged the security council to “face our common problems, setting aside ideologies and narrow visions, partisan ideas and interests, and to cultivate a single purpose: to work for the good of all humanity.”
“We are suffering from a famine of fraternity, which arises from many situations of injustice, poverty, and inequality and from the lack of a culture of solidarity,” the pope stated.
“New ideologies, characterized by widespread individualism, egocentrism, and materialistic consumerism, weaken social bonds, fueling that ‘throwaway’ mentality, which leads to contempt for and abandonment of the weakest and ‘useless.’”
As rotating security council president this month, the UAE held the high-level discussion on human fraternity.
“Maintenance of international peace and security” was the security council’s meeting topic.
Al-Tayeb, the highest Sunni authority, addressed the council via video conference from Egypt.
He denied that Islam is a religion of the sword and only allowed fighting in self-defense. Al-Tayeb called for an end to needless wars in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the eastern frontiers of Europe, where mankind may regress.
Since 2019, the UAE and the Holy See have promoted human fraternity.
The UAE’s Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, co-chaired by Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue president, sponsors the $1 million Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.
The Vatican awarded Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan its “Man of Humanity” award in 2021.
“We are witnessing a groundswell of xenophobia, racism and intolerance, violent misogyny, anti-Muslim hatred, virulent anti-Semitism, and attacks on minority Christian communities,” Guterres told the security council.
The UN secretary general urged reinforcing “the values of compassion, respect, and human fraternity anchored in international human rights norms and standards, and secure free and safe civic spaces.”
All of us—international organizations, governments, civil society, and the commercial sector—must respond. “And faith leaders everywhere must intervene,” he urged.
