• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

+1-212-963-7209

contactaoc@unops.org

How to Get Involved

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)

Many cultures. One humanity.

MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Who We Are
        • About Us
          • About the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)
          • Trust Fund and Donors
          • UNAOC Secretariat
          • Vacancy Announcements and Opportunities
        • History
          • History
          • Timeline
          • High Level Group
        • Institution and Leadership
          • Institution and Leadership
          • High Representative
          • High Representative's Statements
          • Previous Leadership
          • Group of Friends
          • High-level Advisory Council for the High Representative
  • What We Do
        • What We Do
          • Programming Overview: Platform for intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation
          • UNAOC News Flash: Read the Latest Updates
        • What We Do
          • United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Annual Activity Reports
          • UNAOC Upcoming Events Calendar
        • Projects and Initiatives
          • An overview of UNAOC's ongoing projects and initiatives
          • How to Get Involved
  • Projects
        • Projects and Initiatives
          • Intercultural Innovation Hub
          • UNAOC Fellowship Program
          • PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival
          • Youth Solidarity Fund
          • Young Peacebuilders
          • Summer Schools
          • Hate Speech International Conference
          • Media and Information Literacy Clearinghouse
          • PeaceApp
          • Media & Information Literacy for Teachers
          • Intercultural Leaders
        • Projects and Initiatives
          • EDIN – “Empowering Dialogue and Interfaith Networks”
          • 'Sport for One Humanity' Initiative
          • Promoting the Role of Women as Peacemakers
          • News Generation Against Hate: Empowering local youth to create alternative narratives and champion diversity in the media
          • #YouthWagingPeace: A Whole Community Approach to Prevention of Violent Extremism through Education
          • Digital Games for Peace: Intercultural dialogue and socio-emotional competencies for peacebuilding
        • Campaigns
          • UN Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites
          • Call to Action #forSafeWorship
  • Resources
        • United Nations Action Plans Developed by UNAOC
          • United Nations Action Plan to Enhance Monitoring and Response to Antisemitism
          • United Nations Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites
        • Resources and Publications
          • UNAOC Action Plan (2024–2026)
          • Guiding Documents
          • Implementation Plans
          • Publications
          • UNAOC News Flash
        • UNAOC Reports
          • Group of Friends Meeting Reports
          • Annual Activity Reports
          • Financial Reports and Audited Financial Statements
  • Global Forums
    • Cascais 2024
      • Cascais Forum Website
    • Fez 2022
      • Fez Forum Website
      • Fez Forum Report
    • 8th Global Forum
      • 8th UNAOC Global Forum Website
      • 8th Global Forum Report
    • Baku 2016
      • Baku Forum Website
      • Baku Forum Report
    • Bali 2014
      • Bali Forum
    • Vienna 2013
      • Vienna Forum
      • Vienna Forum Documents
    • Doha 2011
      • Doha Forum
    • Rio 2010
      • Rio Forum
    • Istanbul 2009
      • Istanbul Forum
      • Outcomes & Reports from Istanbul Forum
      • Marketplace of Ideas at the Istanbul Forum
      • Istanbul Forum Documents
    • Madrid 2008
      • Madrid Forum
      • Outcomes & Reports from Madrid Forum
      • Speeches & Statements
  • News
        • News and Updates
          • UNAOC News Flash
          • News, Features and Press Releases
          • In Focus (Programming Newsletter)
          • Newsletter Archives
        • High Representative
          • High Representative's Statements
          • UNAOC Press Statements
          • High Representative's Blog
        • Multimedia
          • UNAOC Video Gallery
          • Join the Global Call to Action #forSafeWorship
  • Contact

Remarks by H.E. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, at the Forum on Global Citizenship

November 19, 2014 Filed Under: H.E. Al-Nasser's Statements

Remarks
By
H.E. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser
The High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
At
The IPS Forum on Global Citizenship
November  18, 2014
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations
(Delivered on his behalf by Nihal Saad, Spokesperson for the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations)

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Colleagues,
Good morning,

H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations couldn’t be here today as he is in Vienna representing the UN Secretary General at a conference titled “United Against Violence in the Name of Religion”. Mr. Al-Nasser asked me to deliver remarks on his behalf :

When someone turns 50… the big five zero… he or she would say “age is just a number”. Not so in the life cycle of news organizations, especially IPS. Because IPS fifty years on, continues to provide in depth news from journalists from all around the world. As it turned fifty, it enters a new phase if its life that adapts to the events that are transforming our world today – primarily globalization with all its advantages and shortcomings. We, at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations are very proud of our partnership with IPS and I was honored to Chair its board for the past years.

I am very pleased to be addressing this forum on Global Citizenship , a topic that I had the opportunity to talk about in multiple occasions against the backdrop of the opportunities and challenges of Globalization.

Globalization has been welcomed and embraced as a paradigm of economic and social interdependence and linkage among states, particularly areas of finance, markets, trade, technology, media and communications as well as education.

In fact, the UN Secretary General has identified Global Citizenship as the third priority area  in his Global Education First initiative. The reason for that is that Education, which is one of the four key areas of focus for the Alliance of Civilizations, is much more than an entry point to the job market.

It has the power to shape a sustainable future and better world. Educational policies should promote peace, mutual respect and environmental care. It does not suffice for education to produce individuals who can read, write and count. Education should and must bring shared values to life. It must cultivate a sense of caring and belonging to the global world which all we share as human beings.

Nurturing the noble values of peace, human rights, respect of the other, cultural diversity and justice in the younger minds is key . Those values which are often absent from today’s curricula and textbooks is an impediment to raising a generation perceptive of social, cultural and religious diversity. Sadly, today’s textbooks often reinforce stereotypes, and foster fear of the other rather than fostering the bonding value of the culture of peace.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear colleagues,

As you all know too well, the peaceful and prosperous co-existence of people and nations is the cornerstone of the United Nations mission. We are bound together as the international community in the belief that despite different cultures, languages and religions, there are fundamental shared values and principles that underpin our humanity.

We are bound together, as the UN family because we recognize that is through the celebration of diversity as well as promotion of tolerance and dispelling fear of the other that we build a more peaceful world. And because we are bound together, we understand that citizens of the world share common problems that require global solutions.

To conclude, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to address this important and timely issue.

I wish you fruitful discussion.

Primary Sidebar

If you wish to receive updates about UNAOC's advocacy and programming activities, please sign up using the form below:


UNAOC Press Room

  • Third Tokyo Peace Roundtable to Convene Religious Leaders for Urgent Peacebuilding Efforts (Tokyo, Japan – July 1-3, 2025) June 11, 2025
  • High Representative’s Remarks at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church event on “the role of religious communities during a time of crisis in multilateralism” June 10, 2025
  • High Representative’s Remarks at the first International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations June 10, 2025
  • Message of the High Representative on the Occasion of Eid al-Adha June 5, 2025
  • Press Statement on the Recent Acts of Islamophobia in France June 4, 2025
Get Involved

UNAOC is the premier global platform for intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation. Learn how you can support UNAOC.

Support UNAOC

Footer

UNAOC News Flash

For the latest news from the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), browse through the recent editions of our monthly newsletter.


News and Press Releases

To view the latest features about UNAOC click here to browse through our archives.
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 UNITED NATIONS ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS | DC1 One United Nations Plaza, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017 | PRIVACY | TERMS | Return to top