Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the annual Japanese Peace Bell ceremony at the United Nations, stressing that building peace is a demanding but essential responsibility. He emphasized that peace is not achieved passively, but requires ongoing effort and action, particularly as current efforts falter amid deepening conflicts and growing divisions.
Guterres highlighted the rise in violence and the lack of dialogue and solidarity needed to resolve conflicts. He praised volunteers, advocates, civil society leaders, and peacekeepers worldwide for promoting peace where governments have failed by bridging divides and healing communities.
He urged world leaders preparing for upcoming UN meetings to follow the example of these peace advocates by investing in health, education, nutrition, and social protection, and by strengthening institutions and systems that earn public trust. He also called for the protection of human rights and dignity, and a renewed commitment to diplomacy, negotiation, and peacekeeping to end wars and conflicts.
The ceremony underscored the symbolic significance of the Japanese Peace Bell, presented to the UN in 1954 and cast from coins donated by delegates of 60 countries. Housed in a structure resembling a Shinto shrine, the bell embodies the universal aspiration for peace shared by the international community. It is rung twice a year, including on the International Day of Peace.
Guterres noted that this would be his final time ringing the bell as he plans to step down from the UN at the end of the year, but affirmed his lasting support for peace advocates worldwide.