New York: A call to use Africa’s rich cultural and natural heritage as a catalyst for growth and transformation is the right appeal at the right time, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a three-day forum on the continent’s future held online on Wednesday.
Opening the 2021 Africa Dialogue Series, Secretary-General António Guterres said that the discussions highlight the importance of arts, culture and heritage in building the Africa we want.
"I welcome your focus on cultural identity," he added.
“Societies today are multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural. This is a richness, not a threat," he stated.
To ensure that every community feels its culture and identity is being respected, Guterres underscored that better ways must be found to redress the ills of he past that have bred mistrust and divisio.
He asserted that an emphasis on culture, heritage and shared values can help build unity and common purpose, which could also help overcome disruption due to COVID, and foster peaceful, sustainable development.
"We need to move towards sustainable economic growth that protects the environment, promotes human rights and strengthens the social contract. And we need a stronger sense of solidarity and multilateral cooperation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and leave no one behind," he stated.
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