New York, November 12, SPA --The United Nations' High-Level Meeting on Culture of Peace started at UN headquarters in New York today with the participation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, kings, emirs, heads of Governments of a number of countries and heads of international bodies.

Upon arrival at the UN headquarters, the King was received by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and senior officials of the UN organization.

Then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had a memorial photo-session at Ban's office. Then the monarch signed in a visitors' note book.

Following that, a number of issues relating to the United Nations High-level Meeting on Culture of Peace were discussed.

Then the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud paid a visit to the current President of the United Nations General Assembly Miguel d'Escoto in his office.

During the meeting, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques delivered the following speech:
"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses,

His Excellency the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations,

Dear attendees:

Peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you:

Before this gathering of the world leaders, and from the General Assembly, the conscience of the United Nations, today we say with one voice that religions wanted by God to make human beings happy should not be among causes for their misery. A human being is a counterpart and a partner of the other human being on this planet. Either they live together in peace and tranquility, or they will be finished by fires of misunderstanding, grudge and hatred.

The focus across history on the points of disagreement between the followers of religions and cultures has led to fanaticism. Because of this, destructive wars flared out and led to shedding much blood, which have been unjustifiable by logic or sound thinking. It is time to learn from the hard lessons of the past and to meet together on the ethics and ideals in which we all believe. What we differ, will be settled by God on the judgment day. Every tragedy witnessed in the world today is a result of abandoning a great principle of the principles called for by all religions and cultures. All the world's problems could only mean that human beings renounce the principle of justice.

Terrorism and crime are the enemies of God and the enemies of every religion and civilization. Had not the principle of tolerance and the wander surrounding the lives of many young people been absent, they would not have emerged.

The drugs and crime spread only after the collapse of family ties which God Almighty wanted that they remain strong and firm.

Our dialogue, which will be conducted in a civilized manner, is sure - God willing - to revive the noble values, and consolidate them among peoples and nations. There is no doubt, God willing, that this would represent a magnificent victory for the best in mankind's character over the worst in him, giving hope for a future where justice, security and noble life prevails over grievance, fear and poverty.

Dear friends:
I thank His Excellency the President of the General Assembly for organizing this meeting, and I thank my friends, the world leaders, for coming from the East and West of the world; and I'm proud of their friendship. Let me, please call on Madrid conferees to select a committee from among themselves to undertake the responsibility of dialogue in the days and years to come, confirming to them and to all countries of the world that our interest in dialogue emanates from our religion and Islamic values and from our concern for the humanitarian world and that we will follow-up what we started, and will extend our hands to all lovers of peace, justice and tolerance.

In conclusion, I remind you and myself of a verse from the holy Koran (O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you).

May peace and blessings of God be upon you, thank you".

In a key address at the outset of the meeting, the President of the current session of the United Nations General Assembly Miguel d'Escoto Prockmann, expressed thanks to and appreciation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for calling for convoking a meeting for the followers of religions, considering this meeting as among the most important in the current time to confront the challenges facing the world.

He suggested that one of the most thorny problems facing mankind today is that half of the population of the world are suffering from starvation, malnutrition and poverty, hoping that the world could take steps to solve these problems.

Then the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon delivered a speech welcoming the attendees and expressed his thanks to and appreciation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for calling for this meeting.

He said, "His Majesty, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, peace be upon you; your Majesties, leaders of countries and ministers, thank you all for coming to this meeting. Your presence indicates the importance of dialogue in the world today. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken upon itself the initiative to convene this conference. I thank the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz for his crucial and vital role in holding this meeting.

Ban pointed out that the interaction between different religions and civilizations should be more simultaneously, stressing that there should be a dialogue such as Madrid's conference which was held at an invitation of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and gathered us from all religions, races, and colors.

Following that, President Gloria Arroyo Mkajal of The Philippines expressed her country's support for the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques calling for dialogue between religions, cultures and civilizations.

She presented a project, jointly with Pakistan, and adopted by 60 countries, encouraging dialogue, understanding and cooperation among religions and cultures for bringing about peace, noting that mutual understanding, interaction and dialogue between religions and beliefs constitute an important part of the alliance of civilizations, culture of peace and promotion of dialogue between the media and all cultures and civilizations.

For his part, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, expressed thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his initiative to convene a high-level meeting at the General Assembly of the United Nations. He highly valued the good results of the World Conference for Dialogue which was held last July in Spain, under the sponsorship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and King Juan Carlos of Spain.

In his speech, Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein commended the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his initiative to call for convening UN's high-level meeting on Culture of Peace on a basis far away from fanaticism.

He said that the prestigious position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its respect and appreciation, especially in the Islamic world, have enabled it to lead this dialogue and to provide for it the reasons of success in this stage during which Islam is subjected to a lot of injustice and allegations due to the ignorance of some people of the essence of this religion that calls for tolerance, moderation and being far away from extremism, violence and isolation.

Then Lebanon's President General Michel Suleiman delivered a speech in which he said that UN's high-level meeting on "Culture of Peace" had a special importance with the participation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Kings, Emirs, Presidents and Heads of Governments.

He noted that the King's initiative for calling for dialogue between followers of religions, cultures and civilizations has been joined by many people for achieving common human gains to build ties of tolerance, mutual acceptance and respect for religious and cultural particularities.

In his speech, Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai expressed his thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his efforts with regard to the issue of dialogue between followers of religions and his initiative to convene this meeting.

Then Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani, Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs delivered a speech in which he conveyed the thanks of Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his call to convene UN's high-level meeting on "Culture of Peace ", his presence, opening its work and his significant contributions to the promotion of dialogue between religions.

He believed that the dialogue has become a central pillar of policy in the national, regional and international efforts to achieve peace and sustainable development.

On his part, Morocco's Premier Abbas Al-Fassi commended in his speech the efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in promoting the philosophy of dialogue between religions and standing behind the convention of numerous international forums aimed at strengthening this dialogue, its development and integration into the shared human values system with regard to religion and civilization.

He also praised the outcome of the World Conference of Inter-Faith Dialogue held in Madrid last mid-July under the auspices of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and King of Spain.

© Saudi Press Agency 2008