‘Alliance of Civilizations Plays Vital Role in UN Priorities,' Says UN Chief

Doha, December 11 (QNA) - United Nations Secretary -General Ban Ki- moon on Sunday expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, The Emir of Qatar and HH Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) for hosting the fourth UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum in this critical time. Addressing the fourth UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum, which opened here today, Ban underlined the role of Alliance of Civilizations in implementing empowerment of women and youth; promoting dialogue and mutual understanding to solve conflicts; helping nations in transition and maintaining sustainable development. Alliance is an integral part of these five generational opportunities to decisively shape the future for decades to come, explained Ban, who stressed on the importance of expanding the youth network and having dialogue with them. "Together with HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, I had a very constructive and inspiring dialogue yesterday with 400 youth from all the continents around the globe," UN Chief said in this context. He further put the accent on the importance of implementing women s and children s health and educational programmes. The second imperative is preventing conflict and violence by promoting dialogue, he continued. "When terrorists kill innocent people, when politicians stir hatred and exploit stereotypes to win votes, when moderate voices are struggling to be heard in the politics of polarization, the Alliance s global efforts become very important," explained ban. On the third imperative of building a safer and more secure world, the UN Chief underlined the importance of mutual understanding to solve conflicts. " We must bring peace and tolerance in places that only know division and discord," he said, adding that the Alliance is working to solve this problem. The fourth priority he said is helping nations in transition, particularly across the Middle East and North Africa, emphasizing on the considerable role of Alliance to help these nations to shape their future. On the fifth imperative, which is the sustainable development, Ban said no sustainable development could be achieved without boosting human rights and strong bonds among all people. Achieving these goals requires the participation of all, he said, calling on the Forum's participants to lead a comprehensive dialogue. (QNA)