UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres spoke at the opening of the XI Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants of the UN Alliance of Civilizations forum reaffirmed their commitment to intercultural dialogue Rome Abas, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Culture and education
Intercultural dialogue is not an elective, but a strategy for the survival of humanity. This is the message addressed to the international community by the participants of the XI Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, which opened on Sunday in Riyadh.
Not an option, but a necessity
The conference delegates gathered in the capital of Saudi Arabia reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation between representatives of different cultures and faiths. In an era of growing polarization and conflict, dialogue remains the only path to life, they believe.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General António Guterres rejected the notion that the Alliance’s mission is unrealistic or, as critics claim, “too soft for our cruel world.” Those who believe dialogue naivety, he warned, is wrong. According to Guterres, diplomacy and cooperation are not an option, but a necessity.
Two decades have passed since then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, with the support of Spain and Turkey, took the initiative to create the Alliance. Since then, the geopolitical landscape has changed radically, but the organization’s core purpose remains the same: countering extremism and intolerance and promoting dignified coexistence among people from different cultures and faiths. He outlined two directions for the further development of this situation: on the one hand – fear, separation walls and military escalation, on the other, a bridge between cultures.
Only the second path, he emphasized, leads to sustainable peace: “No new October 7th. No destroyed gas. No starving El Fashers. No communities massacred, ostracized or scapegoated.”
The Secretary-General pointed to three forces that can be drivers of positive global change: youth, women and girls, and people of faith. He called on delegates to advance the Alliance’s mission “with courage, clarity and hope”. priority. The document emphasizes the key role of education in promoting dialogue, human rights and peaceful communities, and reaffirms the original purpose of the Alliance: strengthening cooperation among representatives of different cultures and religions while promoting the principles of respect for each other, mutual understanding and inclusiveness.
Equal voices – shared responsibility
Opening the conference, High Representative Miguel Moratinos, who is also the UN Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, stressed that all cultures should have an equal voice in shaping the future of the world. No one community should dominate, he said.
Moratinos warned of the “return of hate speech” and called for vigilance as discrimination rises. Quoting a verse from Surah Al-Hujurat in the Koran, he emphasized that diversity should be a source of strength and not a reason for division. He also noted that Islamophobia and anti-Semitism should have no place in the modern world.
Saudi Arabia calls for dialogue
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud reaffirmed the Kingdom’s “long-standing commitment to intercultural dialogue.” He said Saudi Arabia’s support for the Alliance reflected a strong belief that interaction between cultures and civilizations is essential for peace, cooperation and conflict prevention.
He highlighted a number of Saudi initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue and countering extremism, and warned of the growing spread of extremist movements motivated by religion and nationalism, as well as the spread of hate speech and Islamophobia over the past two decades.
These challenges, he said, should encourage states to strengthen—rather than reject—the values of dialogue and the idea of peaceful coexistence.