As he approaches the end of his tenure as High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, President Sampaio has continued his energetic schedule of activities on behalf of the UNAOC. The reports below outline his most recent travels.
President Jorge Sampaio’s tenure as High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations will come to a close at the 5th Global Forum of the UNAOC in Vienna on 27—28 February. In his last month as High Representative, following invitations, President Sampaio traveled to Oman and Spain.
During World Interfaith Harmony Week, President Sampiao traveled to Oman, where he held talks with senior officials in Muskat — including the Advisor to H.M. the Sultan for External Relations, the Minister for Education and the Minister for Endowments and Religious Affairs.
While visiting the University of Sultan and the Sultan Qaboos University he delivered a speech at the International Symposium on Rapprochement and Harmony week where he mentioned how “All of our countries face the challenge of the good governance of cultural diversity. This is not only about integrating migrants or minorities. This is all about preparing the hearts and minds of all individuals and peoples for the fact that globalization forces us to live in a global village where we are permanently confronted with identity dilemmas and diversity issues”.
Sampaio went on to praise the role of Oman as a member of the Alliance’s Group of Friends and discussed the immense potential Oman — along with the other Group of Friends Members — have to further expand on regional activities as a partner with the UNAOC. Before departing, he paid a visit to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque along with the Royal Opera House.
On 11 February, Sampaio traveled to Madrid, Spain to deliver a keynote speech at the “Mediation in the Mediterranean” seminar organized by Spain and Morocco. Sampaio emphasized the current critical situation in the Mediterranean and posed the following questions: “What is wrong in our region that allows the devastating disaster in Syria to grow more violent and divisive by the day? What is missing in our region that allows Israelis and Palestinians to get bogged down in an entrenched, pervasive deadlock with no other tangible result than an ingrained hatred of any compromise for a solution? What is wrong with us that we can allow new fault-lines to divide our societies?”
While in Madrid, Sampaio held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Margallo, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
On 27—28 February, President Sampaio will travel to Vienna, Austria to attend the 5th Global Forum of the UNAOC where he will welcome H.E. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser as High Representative to United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.