Remarks by H.E. Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos,
Under-Secretary-General and
High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
at the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue
“Dialogue for Peace and Global Security: Cooperation and Interconnectivity”
1 May 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan
Your Excellency, Mr. Ilham Aliyev,
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Your Excellency, Mr. Adil Karimli,
Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan,
Your Eminencies, Ministers,
Dear friends,
It gives me great pleasure to be back to Baku.
The United Nations Secretary-General has delegated me to convey his warmest wishes for a successful forum.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is proud of its partnership with the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan in co-organizing the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, a formula that we started together since 2011 with other distinguished partners present here today. I also salute my dear colleagues from UNESCO, ICESCO and UN Tourism organization.
This year’s iteration of the forum is particularly significant.
We are convening at a time when bad news and desperation prevail in the news almost every day, there is a reason to have hope in a better future. Ukraine and the Middle East appeal to all of us to put an end to this crisis. Let us hope that negotiations about Gaza will succeed and will get a ceasefire and the liberation of the Israeli hostages.
The agreement reached between the State Commissions of Azerbaijan and Armenia on 19 April on the delimitation of the border is a positive step. It is a strong signal to the world. This is a good reason for hope that all other outstanding issues would be soon resolved to achieve full normalization and reconciliation. I commend the leadership of both countries for such a bold step and particularly your personal leadership, Mr. President.
The forum this year is also significant as it brings a huge number of religious leaders and faith actors together with government officials, Parliamentarians, international organizations and youth. Together with His Virtue Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, Chairman of the Caucus Muslims’ Board, Co-Chair of the Interreligious Council, we are co-organizing a plenary on confidence building through interfaith dialogue.
Excellencies,
I invite you to reflect for a moment on the key words that constitute the theme for the 6th World Forum for Intercultural dialogue and particularly on the word Dialogue.
In multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-lingual societies, Dialogue, Peace, Security, Cooperation and Interconnectivity have increasingly become interrelated concepts, re-enforcing each other.
Dialogue is the chain that interlinks them all together.
Dialogue serves as one of the soft power tools for conflict prevention and conflict resolution.
It defuses tensions before they escalate and bridges the gaps to deescalate and find mutually acceptable solutions.
Dialogue transforms relations among communities affected by conflict as it rebuilds trust between, so that former enemies can envision and realize a shared future.
Dialogue across cultures, religions and civilizations is the platform that the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations continues to advocate not only as because it is our mandate and mission, but also believing that it is an imperative for sustainable peace.
True, dialogue is a sine-qua-non for peace, but it is insufficient.
We need an alliance, a collective commitment to peace.
UNAOC continues to be committed to creating opportunities for cooperation and expanding platforms for community engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including religious leaders, representatives of civil society organizations, youth, women, academia, media professionals, and the business community.
I am convinced that the complexity of today’s global challenges, require new approaches and new partnerships.
It is important to remind ourselves of the common human values embedded in diverse civilizations from East, West, North and South.
Civilizations are built around a complexity of elements. Heritage, architecture, urban centers, cultures, social rules, traditions and unique arts.
A true dialogue of civilizations is one that integrates all these elements.
Excellencies,
Eminencies,
Distinguished guests,
We may agree or disagree that the current geopolitical scene is dark and chaotic.
The global order is in disorder.
Wars and conflicts continue to rage in different corners of the world.
Polarization has reached dangerous heights.
Hate speech, xenophobia and religious intolerance is surging.
Disinformation and deepfakes add fuel to the raging fire of anger.
Vulnerable communities are being demonized and dehumanized, especially on account of their religion, belief, ethnicity or gender.
All this fuels hatred, triggers fear and drives a wedge between communities.
Dialogue is muted.
Empathy is absent.
Fraternity is unattainable.
Peace seems elusive.
People are desperate and fear for their lives and the lives of their families.
This is where dialogue comes into play.
Over the years, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations has provided a recognized global platform for interreligious and intercultural dialogue with the aim of bridging the cultural divides and building cohesive, inclusive and peaceful societies.
Distinguished guests,
The protection of human dignity and human lives is a moral obligation.
The path towards living together in peace as one humanity, is one that should be based on justice and respect for human rights.
Distinguished participants,
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is committed to fostering intercultural and interreligious dialogue as a critical tool against isolation, mistrust, and confrontation.
Our mission is especially important in addressing the root causes of polarization and radicalization and providing a counter-narrative to racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia as well as other forms of hatred and religious intolerance.
I wish to emphasize that at a time when conflicts are fuelling political tension, it must be recalled that such tensions never justify expressions of identity-based hatred.
That toxic hate that incites to violence, to attacks on individuals and the destruction of their religious sites.
Hatred brings the worst of humanity’s impulses.
It is our collective responsibility to stand up and speak out against all forms of hatred based on religion, belief, ethnicity or gender.
That’s why UNAOC developed the Plan of Action for Safeguarding Religious Sites in 2019. The Plan underscores the universality and sanctity of religious sites. In our next UNAOC global forum in Lisbon in Fall 2024, we will develop a “New code of conduct” in order that religious places will be protected and the historical legacy respected. I am convinced that it will be the case with religious sites in Azerbaijan’s liberated areas.
Last but not least, I wish to inform you that as a prelude to this forum, 2 weeks ago we organized a special event at the United Nations Headquarters together with the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan in New York. The Deputy Minister of Culture gave a presentation of the Forum to Member States.
UNAOC will be leading 3 sessions: 1) An intergenerational Dialogue with 20 of UNAOC youth alumni. 2) a plenary on the interfaith dialogue as a confidence building measure 3) the launch of the Young Peacebuilders in Central Asia and the Caucuses, which is supported by the Government of Azerbaijan to advance the Peace4Culture initiative.
Concluding, let’s commit to dialogue to transform relations among communities affected by conflict as it rebuilds trust between so that former enemies can envision and realize a shared future.
To put it in another way: Dialogue paves the way for reconciliation, to moving from a divided past towards a shared future.
We need a globalization of solidarity and compassion instead the normalization of division and hatred.
We need a new narrative to address the current global context.
One that is people-centered focusing on the vulnerable.
We need to rebuild trust and restore solidarity. We need the Baku process.
I hope that the discussions in this forum over a wide range of issues will contribute to the Summit of the Future, COP29 and the UNAOC Global Forum in Lisbon in the end of the year.
I thank you.