Peace Has No Price: A Call to End Aggression and Reject the Language of Force

"I have been closely following developments in the Middle East. A two-week ceasefire has been declared; however, we continue to witness aggression, war and selective approaches to reaching peace. The people of Lebanon continue to suffer from sustained and destructive attacks, as the announced ceasefire does not include Lebanon and is apparently not applicable to all aggressors. Civilians in Gaza continue to be killed, and Palestinians in the West Bank continue to be expelled from their homes. We have also witnessed threats of unprecedented magnitude: bridges and power plants are to be destroyed, and the "end of civilisation" has been vowed should Iran fail to comply with demands to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Such threats must be taken seriously. Words matter, and a threat to use force is not in line with international law. This is not how open issues and disputes should be addressed. What we see is the normalisation and instrumentalisation of such threats as a tactic in the business world, as an opportunity for traders to bet on oil prices falling, just as they did hours ahead of the most recent announcement of the two-week ceasefire with Iran. Such threats also  create fear, anxiety and mistrust among millions of civilians, both in the affected areas and elsewhere. Such statements must be recognised as a serious threat to international peace and security. As such, this warrants strong, united resistance from nations around the world committed to peace, diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of disputes. I once again call on all these nations to unite and speak with one voice: enough is enough. There must be zero tolerance for such rhetoric. Peace, dignity and human security do not have a market value. In a civilised world, they are indivisible and priceless."