The UN General Assembly adopted a new resolution proposed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and a number of other countries, to combat sectarian hate and protect holy sites. The resolution, titled Promoting a Culture of Peace and Tolerance to Safeguard Religious Sites, condemns damage and destruction of religious sites and asks the secretary-general to convene a global conference to spearhead public support for safeguarding places of religious heritage. It also denounces the increasing targeting of “cultural property, including religious sites and ritual objects by terrorist attacks and outlawed militias.” Egypts Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mohamed Idris said Friday the resolution comes amid escalation in religious intolerance and religion-based discrimination, in addition to the increasing need to promote the values of tolerance, coexistence and acceptance of others. In a statement released by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Idris was quoted as saying that the resolution urges all countries to take effective measures to counter national, racial or religious calls that incite hatred, discrimination or violence. This is the second resolution presented by Egypt and adopted by the United Nations in just months, with a focus on promoting the culture of peace, as well as the values of tolerance and religious freedoms. Last month, the UN adopted a resolution presented by Egypt and the UAE to declare February 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity. Commenting on the new resolution, representative of Saudi Arabia to the UN Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said the text condemns offences or mockery against religious sites and symbols, rejects the use of violence to express any point of view and aims to develop a culture of peace as a shield against extremism and intolerance. Noting that the resolution’s facilitators worked for months to incorporate the views of all parties, he said its co-sponsors stand united in support of freedom of belief, opinion and expression, while also requiring mutual respect and continuous dialogue. By other terms of the Resolution, Member States denounced any moves to obliterate or forcibly convert religious sites, while strongly deploring violence against persons on the basis of their religion or belief. The UN’s Assembly also condemned any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, and urged States to take effective measures to combat such incidents.