The UN proclaims February 4 as the International Day of Human Brotherhood

The United Nations General Assembly has accepted the proposal submitted by Bahrain, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela to designate 4 February as the International Day of Human Brotherhood. It was approved without a vote and this date will be considered annually from 2021.

Member states, some international organizations, UN organizations and civil society may take this date in any way they wish. The intention of this day is to promote peace, sustainable development and mobilize the efforts of the international community. The goal is tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity.

"In recent years, the world has witnessed a dramatic increase in violence, hate speech, xenophobia, bigotry and other forms of discrimination. In the face of such transnational threats, we must support initiatives that foster solidarity and unity among people in the spirit of 'human brotherhood'," said Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the UN.

The resolution recognises that the date was motivated by the meeting of His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad al-Tayyib, on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi. That meeting led to the signing of the "Document of Human Brotherhood for World Peace and Living Together".

According to Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the HCHF, it is an example of the achievement of the Higher Committee of the Fraternity and will serve to give greater recognition to the "Document of Human Brotherhood for World Peace and Living Together".

This approval is intended as a solution to the concern about the increase in acts that incite religious hatred and are contrary to tolerance and respect for diversity. The UN resolution also includes among its concerns the Covid-19 crisis which highlights the need for a global response to the pandemic.

The resolution stresses the importance of education and awareness of different cultures and religions, respecting those who practice them.

At the end of the debate, Rudiger von Wechmar, the representative of Germany on behalf of the entire European Union, expressed his support for the proposal. He stressed that the exaggerated increase in international days was not good.