Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament, Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions Maulen Ashimbayev, as part of his visit to the Portuguese Republic, took part in the work of the 10th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, where participants discussed the current problems of humanity and exchanged views on improving approaches to overcoming them. On the sidelines of the forum, the Chairman of the Senate held bilateral meetings with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and High Representative of the UN Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Angel Moratinos.
Welcoming the participants of the 10th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, Maulen Ashimbayev emphasized the important mission of the Alliance in establishing a dialogue between peoples, cultures and religions for the sake of all humanity.
The Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions highly appreciated the long-term partnership between Kazakhstan and the UN Alliance of Civilizations. He also focused on the Organization's efforts to address international issues related to education, youth development, migration and the role of women, the media, as well as the successes achieved in uniting peoples to develop a common vision of peace and security for all.
"The UN Alliance of Civilizations promotes mutual understanding between countries and peoples, overcoming hostility, prejudice and xenophobia. We highly value our long-term partnership with the Alliance. As a member of the Group of Friends of the Alliance, Kazakhstan actively participates in its events and contributes to the development and implementation of the initiatives of this organization. We are ready to further promote the implementation of the UN goals and objectives in the dialogue between civilizations. We share the vision of the Alliance in the field of rapprochement of cultures, countering extremism and terrorism, preventing conflicts based on religious, racial and ethnic differences. Situated at the junction of the West and the East, Kazakhstan has long played the role of a geographical and civilizational bridge connecting peoples, cultures and religions," said Maulen Ashimbayev.
In his speech to the participants of the global forum, the Speaker of the Senate also outlined the approaches actively promoted by Kazakhstan in the international arena to advance the ideas of peace and tolerance in the name of human development. He also noted that the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is Kazakhstan's contribution to global efforts to develop intercultural and interreligious dialogue and cooperation, which has similar goals, a common mission and priorities with the UN Alliance of Civilizations.
«At the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev noted that the world community is in dire need of a new global movement for peace. The fragile system of international security does not sufficiently correspond to modern realities. In these conditions, joint efforts of religious, political and public leaders aimed at strengthening peace, harmony and mutual trust are of particular relevance. The Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations gives us a good opportunity to "synchronize watches", exchange ideas and agree on approaches in activities to promote peace, dialogue and harmony. I am confident that the work of the Forum will make an important contribution to the unification of efforts» Maulen Ashimbayev summed up, addressing the participants of the Forum.
During the Forum, the participants agreed that religious leaders should be involved in the discussion of global challenges, given the constructive and significant role of religion in the modern world. They discussed geopolitical confrontation, armed conflicts, trade wars, the aggravation of climate problems, the widespread dissemination of disinformation, as well as the devaluation of traditional human values. On this day, Maulen Ashimbayev also held a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, where the parties discussed priority areas of comprehensive cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UN, as well as pressing challenges of our time, including problems related to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
"Kazakhstan shares concerns about the global community's lag in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As President Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev emphasized, achieving the SDGs is our national priority. Despite significant achievements over the past decade, global challenges have led to some slowdown in our progress. Therefore, it is very important that we jointly take decisive action in the coming decade to achieve significant results. Today, initiatives in line with these goals are being actively implemented in Kazakhstan, especially in the areas of education, healthcare and environmental sustainability. We believe that by sharing experience, knowledge and resources, we will be able to work together to build a more just and prosperous world," the Senate Speaker said and acquainted his interlocutor with the activities of Parliament in monitoring the SDGs and other areas of work.
Maulen Ashimbayev also presented António Guterres with an invitation on behalf of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which will be held under the title "Dialogue of Religions: Synergy for the Future" on September 17-18, 2025 in Astana.
In turn, the UN Secretary-General highly appreciated the sustainable development policy pursued by the Head of State, expressing his readiness to continue supporting Kazakhstan's efforts aimed at ensuring peace and stability at the global level.
Maulen Ashimbayev discussed the relevance of the agenda of the upcoming VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, as well as prospects for strengthening cooperation during bilateral meetings with the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Angel Moratinos, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders Mohamed Adbelsalam and the Secretary-General of TURKSOY Sultan Rayev.
(Press Office of the Senate, 74-72-27. Photo by: N.Baibullin)
