“After 17 years of existence, this ninth Forum is logically an inflection point. It is true that the world has changed and today we must set more ambitious goals for the Alliance and this is one of the goals of the meeting in Fez,” said Moratinos in an interview with MAP.
Since 2005, the Alliance has charted its course, moving forward to promote understanding and intercultural and interreligious dialogue, while anchoring messages of values and principles that the entire international community should adopt in its national and international policies, recalled the UN official, adding that the international community’s response to contribute to the success of this event, both at the level of States and civil society, has been “excellent.”
“We have already registered more than 1,000 citizens from around the world, who work every day for understanding and respect for different cultures and civilizations, in addition to 96 delegations from all countries, with nearly 50 Member States represented at ministerial level, which is a record for the various forums since the launch of the first in Madrid in 2007,” he said.
The Fez Forum is the one that attracts the greatest presence and interest not only at the level of Member States, countries and governments, but also at the level of civil society, noted Moratinos, adding that this global meeting will have a “very strong presence” of young people from all over the world, but especially from Africa, as it is the first forum of the Alliance of Civilizations to be held on the African continent.
This forum is held at a “an absolutely necessary and urgent time,” he said, noting that the meeting in Fez “will send a message of peace, understanding, the need to live together, to promote diversity and richness and not exclusion.”
“We will show that multilateralism is the only answer in a world that some want to divide or confront or want to return to the old iron curtains,” said Moratinos, ensuring that this 9th edition will promote from Fez “the desire for peace and mutual respect, and to work together in an alliance for a better world.”
“We believe that the echo and the presence of so many personalities demonstrate the interest and wisdom of having chosen Fez and Morocco to hold this ninth Forum”, concluded Moratinos.
