Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Algeria has strongly advocated for the strengthening of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) initiative during the 11th International Forum of the UNAOC, held in Riyadh on December 14th and 15th.
The Algerian delegation was led by Sofiane Chaib, Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in charge of the National Community Abroad. The forum, themed “Two Decades of Dialogue for Humanity: Advancing a New Era of Mutual Respect and Understanding in a Multipolar World,” marks the 20th anniversary of the UNAOC’s founding.
The UNAOC serves as a platform for cultural dialogue, cooperation, and understanding, aiming to bridge divides, combat intolerance, extremism, exclusion, and all forms of violence. It also seeks to address the rise of hate speech, marginalization, and Islamophobia.
During the high-level meeting of the Group of Friends of the UNAOC, the Secretary of State, speaking on behalf of Algeria, called for the development of a comprehensive approach based on cooperation and the strengthening of intellectual, cultural, religious, and scientific ties between peoples and nations. He emphasized the necessity of reinforcing the UN initiative and equipping it with mechanisms to realize the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other relevant international instruments.
Furthermore, Mr. Chaib highlighted Algeria’s international efforts to promote the values of living together in peace, particularly through sharing its experience in peaceful conflict resolution and combating terrorism and violent extremism. He drew inspiration from the values embodied by Emir Abdelkader, the founder of the modern Algerian state, as a symbol of dialogue between civilizations and a pioneer in establishing the first principles of international humanitarian law.
The Secretary of State also emphasized the various mechanisms adopted by Algeria at the national level to reject all forms of violence and hatred and promote the values of tolerance, solidarity, peace, dialogue, dignity, and justice. This is reflected in the adoption of a law related to combating hate speech and the subsequent establishment of a national observatory to monitor and address these practices.
DZWatch News will continue to follow this developing story.
