The Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen, called for raising global awareness of the dangers of the growing manifestations of Islamophobia by mainstreaming the principles of peace, harmony and security.
He pointed out that the "Istanbul Process" initiative launched by the OIC, as part of its plan to implement UN Human Rights Council resolution 16/18, could contribute positively to the efforts made to combat various forms of extremism, hatred and racial discrimination, through the establishment of a culture of dialogue, mutual respect and understanding.
In a statement made at the Fourth World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijani on Friday, the Secretary-General underlined the OIC’s commitment to continue supporting innovative ideas aimed towards values of tolerance among religions, cultures and civilisations a commitment provided in the OIC 10-year Program of Action 2025.
Al-Othaimeen added that the OIC has always encouraged dialogue as a way to bring together views within the framework of respecting differences and diversity. Thus, it is a joint global responsibility to propagate a culture of tolerance, peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding, and to continue to develop new approaches towards intercultural dialogue through mutual acceptance and respect.
He said that the selection of "Advancing intercultural dialogue: New avenues for human security, peace and sustainable development," as the theme of this year's session of the forum, reinforces that culture plays an important role in promoting a global framework of development. Achieving sustainable development requires a broader and deeper understanding of the security issues, which includes humanitarian, gender and environmental dimensions, and not just military concerns.
The forum is an initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and is held in partnership with UNESCO, the UN Alliance of Civilisations, the WTO, FAO, ISESCO and the Council of Europe.

Source: WAM