Ringing the Peace Bell on the occasion of the International Day of Peace marked Friday (20 Sep) the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called “on combatants around the world to lay down their arms and observe a day of global ceasefire and non-violence.”

“Each year on this day, we come together to renew our commitment to peace and a world free of violence and strife, “said the Secretary-General. “But we know that peace is beyond the reach of so many people and communities.”

This year’s theme for the International Day of Peace is “Climate Action for Peace” said Guterres, “because we know how much climate change threatens world peace.”

On Monday (23 Sep) the Secretary-General Guterres is convening a Climate Action Summit, inviting the world leaders to, as he said, come with concrete and bold plans that will help us to keep the rise of temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius to the end of the century, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and cut carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.

“Natural disasters and extreme weather events -- many a direct consequence of climate change -- are displacing three times as many people as conflicts,” said Guterres. “It is no coincidence that the countries most vulnerable to climate change are often those most vulnerable to conflict and fragility,” he added.

The Peace Bell was donated by the United Nations Association of Japan in June, 1954. It has become tradition to ring the bell twice a year: on the first day of spring, at the Vernal Equinox, and on 21 September to celebrate the International Day for Peace. On the International Day for Peace, the United Nations Secretary-General rings the bell to pray for World Peace, in the presence of Representatives of Permanent Missions and officials of the UN Secretariat.

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