PAM WELCOMED AS A NEW MEMBER OF THE GROUP OF FRIENDS OF THE UNITED NATIONS ALLIANCE OF CIVILISATIONS

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MEDIA INFORMATION: 71/2012
ISSUED ON: 11/12/2012

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) is participating at the Annual Focal Points Meeting of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), being held in Tunis, Tunisia.

As a result of PAMs increasing role in international diplomacy, the Assembly had been invited to become a member of the Group of Friends” at 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, held a bilateral meeting with the High Representative of the UNAOC, H.E. Jorge Sampaio, with whom common initiatives and cooperation were discussed.

The meeting in Tunisia, is hosted by The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), which is a member of the UNAOC Group of Friends. Up to 130 countries and international organizations are convening in Tunis, to share updates on progress on the UNAOC National Plans and Strategies, discuss the upcoming 5th Global UNAOC Forum in Vienna, and learn about projects and initiatives being led by the Alliance at global and local levels.

The opening session was addressed by H.E. Prof. Dr Touhami Abdouli State Secretary in charge of EU affairs for Tunisia, H.E. Dr. Mohamed El Aziz Ben Achour, Director General of ALECSO, H.E. Amb Belen Alfaro, Ambassador at large for the Alliance of Civilizations, Focal Point, Spain, H.E. Mr. Bogac Guldere, Focal Point for the UNAOC matters, Turkey and H.E. President Jorge Sampaio, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations.

In their interventions, both President Sampaio and Amb. Alfaro, welcomed PAM as a new member of the Group of Friends of the UNAOC, and underlined the important role the Assembly can play in regional cooperation. As to intercultural and interreligious dialogue, PAM is committed to promote inclusiveness and combat all forms of extremism, discrimination and racism.

The UNAOC Focal Points meeting is focusing on four main topics, namely, re-energizing National Plans as a key policy tool to address divides, promote intercultural dialogue and contribute to build inclusive and tolerant multi-ethnic multi cultural and multi religious societies; pushing for additional regional cooperation in fields of interest to the UNAOC; Update on the Vienna Forum: participation and outcomes and finally the presentation and discussion of the main UNAOC projects.

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