Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of State for Tolerance and Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the International Tolerance Institute, highlighted the UAE’s leading role in strengthening the values of tolerance, peace and co-existence on local, regional and international levels.

The UAE is always calling for peace and continuing its efforts to promote respect for human rights, citizenship and equality, as well as to fight discrimination, hatred and extremism, she added.

In her statement marking the International Day of Peace on 21st September, under the slogan, "Together for Peace, Respect, Safety and Dignity for All," she further stated that the Emirati people are inspired by their national ideology to maintain the values of peace and tolerance, which were promoted by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the other founding fathers.

She added that the UAE has become a country filled with harmony and brotherhood, in light of the wise directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Sheikha Lubna then highlighted the UAE’s regional and global efforts to promote peace as an essential human value, which represents a natural human instinct that unites all nationalities, religions and cultures through trust, mutual respect and solidarity, to ensure international security and stability.

She also referred to certain legal, social and cultural initiatives presented by the UAE to the whole of humanity, under the framework of maintaining the values of tolerance and peace on national, regional and international levels, including the decree of Federal Law No.02 (2015) against discrimination and hatred, the establishment of the International Tolerance Institute, the launch of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Award for Tolerance, the establishment of the Muslim Council of Elders, hosting the Peace Promotion in Muslim Communities Forum, and the establishment of the Hedaya International Centre to combat violent extremism, as well as other leading initiatives that aim to promote peace, tolerance, co-existence, pluralism and acceptance of others.