Salmond makes renewed call for ceasefire on UN International Day of Peace
FORMER First Minister Alex Salmond has made a renewed call for peace in the Middle East as tensions heighten once again across the region.
Mr Salmond, now leader of Alba Party, made the call to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
Mr Salmond was the first political leader in Scotland and the UK to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Commenting he said “it is paramount that the international community unite to secure a ceasefire. We have to stop the killing now or face the danger of escalation.. Following which it is time for those in the world who wield power and influence to bring it to bear to secure the implementation of the long standing United Nations resolutions. It is time to redirect resources dedicated to weapons of war to resourcing the fountains of a path to peace.”
Salmond, who served as Scotland’s First Minister between 2007 and 2014, says that the UN’s International Day of Peace should serve as a wake up call to western nations to act to enable peace in the Middle East “before an unbearable situation becomes an unthinkable crisis that will put the lives of millions at risk.”
Commenting former First Minister and Alba Party leader Alex Salmond said:
“Today marks 25 years since the United Nations adopted its declaration and programme of action on a culture of peace. But today, on this international day of peace, unbearable suffering continues in the Middle East and actions across the region continue to escalate.
“The UN’s Peace Declaration recognised that peace ‘not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.’
“But sadly this far the much needed dialogue for peace has been lacking. Today should act as a catalyst for positive change. The International Day of Peace has always been a time to call for hostilities to end, weapons to be laid down and ceasefires to be observed - so today the UK Government should be demanding that Israel ceases its military action, that Hamas responds by returning the hostages from the October 7th assault, and finally the ongoing atrocities end to allow the path to peace to begin.”
