OIC Chief Lauds Qatar's Role in Promoting Culture of Dialogue

Doha, December 11 (QNA) - The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has lauded Qatar's leading role in promoting a culture of dialogue among civilizations at the global level. The OIC chief said in a speech he gave at a session of the 4th Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations that the idea of the alliance of civilizations has been further consolidated in the previous three conferences held in Spain, Turkey and Brazil with aim to promote dialogue among civilizations and cultures as well as to push it forward and make it a realistic and tangible one. There is a well-established relationship between the promotion of a culture of dialogue and development, he said. Ihsanoglu stressed that the fight against poverty can only succeed through dialogue between the cultures so that the development can be achieved, adding that the success of the alliance of civilizations conference would contribute to the fight against poverty in most countries in the world, where this severe crisis is suffered. The OIC Secretary General called for reconsideration of economic and development factors, allocation of budgets and great attention to be given to poor countries, in addition to the activation of many programs for this purpose, in addition to the development of educational programs that can establish a culture of dialogue. Ihsanoglu also stressed the importance of the approval of UN Resolution No 1618 on the promotion of peace, in addition to the formulation of new articles to realize coexistence and convergence between different cultures and to achieve greater understanding for the sake of the ultimate goal, namely sustainable development. (QNA)