The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) and the UN Alliance of Civilisations (UNAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, paving the way for joint PAM and UNAC efforts to promote cross-cultural understanding and reconciliation among cultures globally, with particular emphasis on actions relating to tourism stakeholders, youth, education and media.
The Assembly had been invited to become a member of the “Group of Friends” of the UNAC on the occasion of the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly in New York on 26 September 2012, to support the action of the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations. On that occasion, the PAM delegation attending the UN General Assembly, also held a bilateral meeting with the High Representative of the UNAC, H.E. Jorge Sampaio, with whom common initiatives and cooperation were discussed.
The signing of the MoU was held in Austria during the “5th Global Forum – Vienna 2013” of the Alliance of Civilizations dedicated to “Promoting Responsible Leadership in Diversity and Dialogue’. Hon. Maria Conceicao Pereira, PAM Vice President and President of the 3rd Standing committee on Dialogue amongst Civilizations and Human Rights signed on behalf of the Assembly, while the new High Representative of the UNAC, H.E. Nadir Abdelaziz Nassir, signed for the UNAC. Present for the ceremony was also former President of the PAM 3rd Standing Committee and Roving Ambassador, Hon. Tevfik Ziyaeddin Akbulut, from the Great Assembly of Turkey.
PAM and the UNAC agreed to support each other’s efforts and, to strengthen their relations in areas of mutual interest such as the preservation of cultural diversity and the promotion of intercultural dialogue and cooperation in the Mediterranean region. Other initiatives will focus on the improvement of relations between peoples of different cultures, religions and traditions, and the promotion of human rights, democracy, rule of law, as well as education for democracy, human rights and pluralism, particularly among youth. Among the priority objectives there is the support to the creation of new opportunities for dialogue and cooperation among parliamentarians in the Mediterranean region by using intercultural dialogue as a tool to build inclusive, pluralist, tolerant and democratic societies.