Deputy Secretary-General, at Ramadan Iftar, Says United Nations Mandate Is to Nurture Dialogue, Build Peace, Promote Social Justice

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at a Ramadan Iftar, in New York today:

As Salam Alaikum.  Ramadan Karim.

To my dear friend Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi and other esteemed representatives, I would like to thank the Pakistan Club, the Islamic Cultural Society and the Arab Club for bringing us together.

I am so pleased to see staff clubs established under the United Nations Staff Recreation Council fulfilling their mission so well — bringing colleagues together from across the United Nations system, across nationalities and across faiths.  It is wonderful to see, and we welcome more such efforts for us to step away from our desks and the daily grind to come together like this.

We unite in a spirit of compassion, tolerance and mutual respect.  This is precisely the spirit that animates this holy month of Ramadan.  It is a spirit reflected in the core values of all major religions — namely, the fundamental understanding that we are bound together in our common humanity.  And it is also the spirit of our Organization — the United Nations — of which we are all so proud to be a part.

This is our mandate every day.  To nurture dialogue.  To promote social justice.  To build peace.

I recall the wonderful story of the early days of the life of the Prophet Muhammad.

The tribes of Arabia were rebuilding the Ka’bah.  At last, the time came to raise the final “Black Stone” to its place.  The tribes were all seeking the honour of placing the stone back.  The disagreement grew.  It was the young prophet who settled the dispute.  “Place the stone on a piece of cloth,” he said, “and raise it together.”

There’s tremendous meaning in this story for our times.  The best solutions emerge from thinking creatively, sharing burdens, working hand in hand.  It is also what brings us together this evening to not only break bread, but to also build bridges as sisters and brothers in faith.

I thank you for being here to do just that.  I wish you a blessed Ramadan.