Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan affirmed that Saudi Vision 2030 embodies a national approach grounded in moderation and openness to other civilizations, as well as in confronting hate speech and extremism.

He made the remarks while chairing the opening session of the 11th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Riyadh on Sunday. Those who attended the opening session also included Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres and High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos.

In his address, Prince Faisal said that the Kingdom’s hosting of the forum reflects its continued support for the efforts of the United Nations to promote the values of dialogue, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence among civilizations and cultures. “The convening of the 11th session of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations serves to review past efforts and to exchange views and ideas on how to manage diversity and differences by building bridges of communication and dialogue among various civilizations and religions,” he said.

The foreign minister emphasized that youth are the true embodiment of hope. “They are the leaders of the future and messengers of peace. In this context, I cannot help but express my great pleasure at seeing such a large number of young people in this hall,” he said while noting, “there is also a youth forum being held on the sidelines of this forum, and this venue will host the graduation of the eighth cohort of the Young Leaders Qualification Program of the (Salam) Project for Civilizational Communication. Accordingly, it can be said that this United Nations Alliance of Civilizations forum is a forum for youth.”

The forum, under the theme “Two Decades of Dialogue for Humanity: Advancing a New Era of Mutual Respect and Understanding in a Multipolar World,” was also attended by a number of foreign ministers from friendly countries; political and religious leaders; heads of international organizations; and representatives of civil society.

The forum aims to review the achievements of two decades of global dialogue, discuss current challenges, and envision the future of joint action to enhance mutual understanding among peoples and build bridges of communication that support international peace and stability.