Declaration on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace

 

We, the leaders of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Ecuador, the Arab Republic of Egypt, The Gambia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malaysia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Tajikistan, and Kingdom of Thailand, having met on 13 September 2005 in New York

Welcome the High Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly and its outcomes, aimed at accomplishing the goals of the Millennium Declaration and strengthening the United Nations system to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, consistent with the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;

Reaffirm the inextricable nexus between development, peace and security and the protection of human rights, and recognize that a culture of peace can be attained, inter alia, through dialogue, the promotion of inclusion, equality, justice and tolerance, the enhancement of mutual understanding and respect, the advancement of knowledge and appreciation of the richness and wisdom found in all civilizations, the promotion of common ground among civilizations and religions in order to address common challenges threatening shared values, universal human rights and achievements of human society in various fields, and also the enhancement of respect for cultural diversity and cultural heritage;

Remain convinced that a culture of peace can be significantly enhanced by inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilizational dialogue and cooperation, which further promote mutual understanding, respect and tolerance among religions, cultures and peoples;

Urge that the conduct of inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilizational dialogue and cooperation be guided by our common humanity and by the understanding that the rich diversity of cultures, civilizations and religions represents the collective heritage of humankind;

Uphold the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace as well as the Global Agenda For Dialogue Among Civilizations and its Programme of Action, adopted by the General Assembly, and support UNESCO’s programs and practical actions in this regard;

Invite the attention of the international community to intensify cooperation at the international, regional and national levels in the implementation of existing United Nations programs for the promotion of a culture of peace and dialogue among civilizations enhanced by such initiatives as the Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace, Enlightened Moderation, the Bali Declaration on Building Interfaith Harmony within the International Community, the Alliance of Civilizations, the Islam-Christianity Dialogue, and the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which are all mutually inclusive, reinforcing and inter-related;

Agree to meet five years hence to review the progress of our cooperation and invite our Ministers to meet annually at the margins of the general debate of the General Assembly to follow up on the progress of our work on the enhanced promotion of a culture of peace through inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilizational dialogue and cooperation;

Invite other governments to adhere to this Declaration. 

Adopted this 13^th day of September 2005 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.