Tuesday, November 26, 2024 at 2:43 p.m.
Cascais (Portugal) – The work of the 10th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) began on Tuesday in the Portuguese city of Cascais (west of Lisbon), under the theme “United in peace: restoring confidence , reshaping the future”, with the participation of Morocco.
The Kingdom is represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita, during this event, which presents itself as a soft power platform, intended to prevent conflicts, to encourage dialogue and foster bridges of understanding between cultures and religions.
This World Forum, which held its 9th edition in Fez in November 2022, is attended by the Advisor to His Majesty the King, Mr. André Azoulay. It constitutes an important opportunity for exchange, dialogue and mutual understanding according to the values and principles of tolerance, diversity and respect for others, which Morocco defends as part of its political, economic and cultural openness.
The 10th Forum, which takes place over three days, brings together high-level personalities, including the Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the King of Spain, Felipe VI, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, the High- Representative of UNAOC, Miguel Angel Moratinos, as well as the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Paulo Rangel.
The debates at this international meeting, which also brings together political leaders, representatives of international organizations, religious figures, as well as economic and civil society actors, will focus on the issues of peace, security and dialogue between cultures and religions, while exploring the role of artificial intelligence and sport as levers to promote world peace.
The event also offers the opportunity to take stock of 20 years of the Alliance of Civilizations, an initiative launched by Spain during the 59th session of the UN General Assembly. Participants will review the achievements of this initiative and discuss concrete actions that the international community must take to counter threats to security and social peace, such as racism, discrimination and hatred.
In parallel with the work of the Forum, the event program includes an International Conference on the Protection of Religious Sites, in line with the 2021 UN General Assembly resolution on promoting the culture of peace and tolerance for the protection of religious sites, as well as a Youth Forum, which began its work on the first day of the UNAOC Forum.
The Alliance of Civilizations, headquartered in New York, organizes its Global Forum every two years in a member country of its Group of Friends, which includes 131 UN member countries and 29 international organizations.
