The 3rd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue

The presentation of the 3rd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which will take place in Baku on 18-19 may 2015, took place at the 196th UNESCO’s Executive Board session on 22 April 2015.

At the opening ceremony, the president of the Executive Board, Ambassador Mohammed Sameh Amr commended the initiative of the Government of Azerbaijan which promotes peace and cooperation in the world.

The Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova stressed that the initiative of Azerbaijan plays an important role in areas that UNESCO promotes, such as intercultural and interreligious dialogue and that the Organization will continue to support the Forum.

I.Bokova stressed that the activities of the First Lady of the Republic of Azerbaijan, UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador H.E. Mehriban Aliyeva provide big support to the goals and principles of the Organization. 

The Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan Abulfas Garayev informed that the Baku Process and Forum first were launched by the President of Azerbaijan H.E. Ilham Aliyev in order to promote dialogue and understanding among civilizations and stressed that Azerbaijan serves as a bridge in promoting such values and that our country has old traditions of multiculturalism. 

Minister Garayev informed that the President launched this initiative at the UN General Assembly in 2010 by calling the international community for peaceful coexistence, without ethnic, racial, religious and cultural distinction. He also noted that during the event UNESCO, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, World Tourism Organization, Council of Europe and ISESCO will be presenting interesting workshops and thanked UNESCO once again for its support.

The Director of Democratic Citizenship and Participation of the Council of Europe Jean-Christophe Bas noted that the Council of Europe pays a great attention to the intercultural dialogue and that the Baku Process was supported by the Council of Europe since the start and that it also promoted inter-organizational cooperation.  

The Professor and Executive Director of The Institute for Community Cohesion at Coventry University in the United Kingdom of the Coventry University Mike Hardy stressed that the Baku Forum is supported not only at political but also academic level. 

Then the members of the Executive Board asked questions regarding the Forum.

At the end of the event the reception was organized.