Caretaker Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, affirmed in a speech he delivered during his participation in the meeting held at the United Nations in Geneva marking the 75th anniversary of the ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’, that ‘Lebanon will remain loyal to the values of democracy, human rights, tolerance, and acceptance of the different other.’

Bou Habib underlined Lebanon’s respect for said Declaration, to which it honorably contributed whilst in the preparation phase, and for the covenants that later emerged from it, deeming it an ‘essential matter for the sustainability of human civilization,’ particularly in a world that is witnessing a steady growth in the phenomena of discrimination, intolerance, racism, and rejection of others, and in light of the risks that these phenomena pose on the social fabric and constitutional life within countries, as well as on international relations.

Based on the above, Bou Habib stressed that ‘Lebanon pledges, despite all the challeng
es, especially the presence of two million refugees on its territory, who constitute about 40 percent of the total population, to remain loyal to the values of democracy, human rights, tolerance, and acceptance of the different other, which is rooted in its history, society, and political system, in order to preserve its unique formula based on diversity, pluralism, and peaceful coexistence, and creativity among its various sects and components.’

On another note, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister will speak this evening in a closed dialogue session organized by the ‘Humanitarian Dialogue’ Research Center, in which he will address the recent developments in Gaza and the situation in southern Lebanon and the Middle East region.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon