CAIRO, Sept 21 (MENA) - Egypt has been at the forefront of nations contributing to global peace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Saturday.

Commemorating the International Day of Peace, the ministry highlighted Egypt's role as a founding member of the United Nations and global South organizations, most notably the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77, which advocate for a fair and just international system that respects international law and meets the developmental aspirations of all peoples of the world.

It called on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities to end ongoing wars and strengthen peace processes based on the existing international law and the principles and goals of the United Nations.

Egypt's leading role in peace efforts has extended to all crises in neighboring countries, particularly Libya, Sudan, and Somalia, by preserving national institutions and enabling them to fulfill their responsibilities to serve their peoples and achieve their aspirations, the ministry said.

Egypt's contribution is not limited to active participation in all relevant peace talks, but also extends to utilizing its full capabilities in supporting these neighboring nations to overcome their current hardships and restore the desired peace and stability, it added.

Conceptually, Egypt has been a pioneer in presenting a vision for achieving global peace, being the first to call for a comprehensive approach to the UN peace and security structure, encompassing peacebuilding, peacekeeping, and peace sustainability during its most recent membership in the Security Council in 2016/2017. This approach goes beyond the narrow and partial handling of international crises, just as Egypt contributed to establishing the African peace and security structure with these three pillars, the ministry said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that Egypt is working towards integrating the UN and African systems to maintain international peace and security, through its current membership in the African Peace and Security Council and the meetings it will hold under Egypt's presidency with the UN Security Council. This effort is alongside the role of the Cairo-hosted African Union's Center for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development, in coordination with the UN Peacebuilding Commission and Fund, maximizing available resources and achieving the necessary harmony and coordination.

Egypt's role in linking regional and global efforts is not limited to Africa. During its recent presidency of the UN Security Council in 2016, Egypt initiated the first joint meeting with the Arab League Council, it added.

In terms of capacity building, Egypt established the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding in 1994, with the aim of effectively training and preparing Egyptian, Arab, African, and Francophone personnel—whether military, police, or civilian—in peacekeeping, a field in which Egypt has been, and remains, a pioneer, it further added.

Egypt reaffirmed the important role of UNESCO in building peace as promoting human values cannot be achieved without utilizing education, science, culture, communication, and information to enhance cooperation and mutual respect among all the peoples of the world without discrimination.

"In this context, Egypt has nominated Dr. Khaled El-Anany for the position of Director-General of UNESCO in the upcoming elections, counting on the support of its partners and friends for this Egyptian candidacy, which has been endorsed at the Arab and African summit levels," the statement read.

Egypt reiterated its commitment to continuing its pioneering contributions to achieving these global goals at all levels, recalling its regional initiative, being the first to open the door for the peace process in the entire Middle East, which can only be achieved by ensuring the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and all their inalienable national rights, through the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"Egypt continues to play its leading role in achieving the desired peace through its genuine contribution to mediating an end to the aggression on Gaza," the statement read.

"On International Day of Peace, Egypt once again calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the full delivery of humanitarian aid, the immediate reconstruction, and the achievement of a comprehensive settlement by establishing comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East," it concluded. (MENA)

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