The South Belfast MLA stated: "The UN unanimously endorsed a resolution 43 years ago requiring us, each September, to dedicate ourselves to 'commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace'. Both 'within and among' all nations and people.

"This requires us to commit ourselves to peace in all viable ways, both at home and in terms of any influence we may bear on conflict and instability elsewhere.

"In some ways, we in Northern Ireland have become a beacon for peace, given how far our society has come in only three decades or so. However, we also know how fragile this is, and how there remain those among us who continue to stoke division and promote conflict. Ongoing racist and xenophobic attacks here in Northern Ireland only reinforce the need to devote ourselves to the ideals of peace within our own community.

"We are also seeing an alarming growth of instability elsewhere, with appalling conflicts ongoing in the Middle East, Ukraine and parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and ongoing threats elsewhere. Seeking peace can often be seen as the soft option, but in fact the promotion of compromise and reconciliation is the hard work to which we need to commit ourselves.

"Let us therefore use this World Peace Day to reinforce our commitment to peace within and among all communities both at home, and around the world."