RIYADH: Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf, Secretary General of the GCC, said on Wednesday that racism plays a major role in triggering violence and conflicts between groups of society and countries. Al-Hajraf gave the statement on the International Day of Peace which is observed on Sept 21 annually. This year's theme is 'Ending racism, building peace'.

"The GCC observes the celebration of the day together with the international community, as peace constitutes a fundamental value in our society and is also part of a well-established vision in the policies and legislative measures practiced by all GCC member states," he said.

Al-Hajraf also said that the true teachings of the Islamic religion propagate principles of peaceful coexistence between people of all nationalities and also calls for avoiding wars, rejecting conflicts as well as all forms of extremist behavior. "Racism triggers conflicts between people, especially hate speech, ethnic discrimination as well as contempt for other religions." He also lauded the historic role of the GCC countries in achieving peace and stability in their respective countries and in mediating as well as resolving conflicts in regional and international platforms.

"Peace is what nations and people yearn for as it is the best solution for addressing conflicts and building the foundations of stability in a sustainable manner, as well as in achieving economic, social and cultural prosperity for people across the world." - KUNA