PRESS CONFERENCE ON ‘ Alliance of Civilizations’

By building bridges between societies, promoting dialogue and understanding and forging partnerships, the Alliance of Civilizations was a global initiative designed to make a difference of the lives of people by providing practical action, the Secretary-General’s High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.

Recently appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to lead the implementation phase of the Alliance of Civilizations, Jorge Sampaio, who also served as Portugal’s President for two terms, said he would work in partnership with States, international and regional organizations, civil society groups, foundations, and the private sector to promote cross-cultural relations among diverse nations and communities.

Providing some background, he noted that the Alliance of Civilizations had been established in 2005 under the United Nations auspices at the initiatives of the Governments of Spain and Turkey.  Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan had then formed a 20-member High-level Group to explore the roots of polarization between societies and cultures today and to recommend a practical programme of action to address the issue.  The Group’s report, issued in November 2006, put forward a range of practical recommendations that formed the basis for the Alliance’s implementation plan.

To deepen cooperation on a range of initiatives across different regions, the Alliance had also developed a “Group of Friends”, he added.  To date, more than 50 countries had declared their intention to participate in that group. 

Having just presented the implementation plan of the Alliance to the Secretary-General a few minutes before the briefing, he said he would concentrate in the next few months on exploring the major aim of the Alliance for facilitating and fostering partnership between key players at all levels to bring about the necessary results. 

The Alliance, he stressed, was not intended to overlap with the other organizations.  Instead, the Alliance would act as a bridge builder and catalyst, stimulating partnerships and coordinating the various existing activities.  The Alliance did, however, incorporate a fundamental political dimension in terms of promoting sustainable security and peace, dialogue, tolerance and mutual respect.

Apart from its political context, the Alliance would focus on four main fields of activity, namely education, media, youth and migration, he said.  Education was particularly crucial, as it heightened awareness of the different beliefs shaping other people’s lives.  Youth had an immediate role in today’s world, and he hoped they would continue to be a source of creativity and optimism.  The media also had a vital role to play in promoting knowledge, mutual respect and tolerance.  Migration, he added, was a natural bridge between diverse communities.

Regarding the road ahead, he said the document was open-ended in the sense that it would be receiving suggestions and possible amendments from the Group of Friends.  A Secretariat in New York would run the Alliance, which would be funded through a voluntary trust fund made up of contributions from Governments, international organizations and entities, private sector bodies, foundations and individuals.  An advisory board would oversee the Fund.

He noted that the Alliance would hold an international forum, from 15 to 16 January 2008 in Spain, which would provide a platform for forging partnerships, launching new initiatives and stimulating projects by the various actors.  It would also serve as a forum for evaluating progress and assessing areas for further attention. 

The backing of the Group of Friends was essential, he stressed, noting that he was optimistic about the next chapter of the Alliance’s work, as it provided a clearing house of best practices, materials and resources on cross-cultural dialogue and cooperation projects.

The Alliance seemed to be an established sort of institution, a correspondent noted.  How would it be financed and what would its annual budget be?

Responding, Mr. Sampaio said the Secretariat was a very small and flexible organization.  It was now rolling, and had registered the interest of many countries expressing a desire to be a part of the Group of Friends.  It did not need a “gorgeous” type of budget, but could operate on quality funding.  An effort would be made from now until the end of the year to mobilize the various donors.  In the beginning stages of its work, it did not yet have a specific budget. 

Asked to describe what the Alliance was doing in concrete terms, he said it was necessary to recall that the alliance had been part of an initiative to forge intercultural relationships and heal the difficulties of intercultural relations in general.  It had been a major effort picked up by the Secretary-General at the time.  The High-level Group had suggested four areas of priority action to diminish tensions and promote understanding.

The Alliance would seek to consolidate projects to foster understanding between cultures, peoples and religions, he added.  In terms of youth, for example, the Alliance could support a student exchange programme.  It could also provide a forum for debate on delicate issues, such as the Danish cartoon incident. 

Responding to another question, he said the implementation plan was open-ended in the sense that it was an “adding up” scheme.  It was not about subtracting anything.  The Alliance, moreover, would not serve as an alter ego of the Security Council, the General Assembly or the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  Rather, the Alliance sought to add up the initiatives of the various bodies and help promote dialogue to fight the “clash of civilizations” and the “clash of ignorance”.  There was a big need for that, and no effort could be spared in that regard.

Asked about the Arab-Israeli conflict, he said the Alliance was not a political body, in that it did not have to execute a political mandate.  Long-standing political problems required political solutions.  Upstream, the alliance could help by working with communities who found it hard to understand other cultures.  Downstream it would help by consolidating political solutions.  While the Alliance

did not want to confuse its role with that of the Council or the Assembly, it could be one element in helping to diffuse potential conflicts in the future. 

The high-level report was an important document, he added.  With the first phase of the Alliance’s work having ended with the presentation of the High-level Group’s report, the second phase of its work was now starting and would result in practical measures, including in the four priority areas outlined by the Group.

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For information media • not an official record