Today in Astana, the UN Under-Secretary-General, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos and Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev opened a Special Session on the protection of religious sites. The event was held on the sidelines of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
Welcoming the participants of the special session, the Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions Maulen Ashimbayev emphasized the important mission of the Alliance in establishing dialogue between peoples, cultures, and religions for the benefit of all humanity. It was noted that for 20 years, the Organization has been making a significant contribution to the prevention of extremism, the fight against religious discrimination, and the formation of a culture of peace. He also stressed that the Special Session on the protection of religious sites is a logical continuation of the 10th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, which was held in Portugal in November of last year and covered current problems of humanity and approaches to overcoming them.
«The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, always emphasizes that «the people of Kazakhstan have absorbed the traditions of various civilizations and religions, as well as the spirit of tolerance and openness. Therefore, the principle of «unity in diversity» is fundamental for us». Throughout our history, temples and spiritual sites of various religions have peacefully coexisted and remain an integral part of our cultural heritage. Located at the junction of West and East, Kazakhstan has anciently played the role of a geographical and civilizational bridge connecting peoples, cultures, and religions. All these sacred places are part of the history of our people and represent an invaluable spiritual and cultural heritage. We attach great importance to their preservation and protection», – said Maulen Ashimbayev in his speech.
As the Speaker of the Senate noted, Kazakhstan supports the 2023 UN General Assembly resolution on interfaith dialogue and countering hate speech, as well as the UN Action Plan to Safeguard Religious Sites.
Within the framework of an open dialogue, religious leaders and state figures also exchanged views on the need to form coordinated approaches to ensuring the security of places of worship and religious sites. The session participants expressed deep concern about the growing threats to places of worship, shrines, and religious sites in many regions of the world. An increase in acts of vandalism, desecration of sacred objects, and violence provoked by religious intolerance was noted, which requires an immediate and coordinated response from the international community. In this regard, a unified call was made to strengthen the global partnership between religious organizations, states, and international structures, as well as to develop sustainable legal and institutional mechanisms for the protection of holy sites.
The session participants noted that the protection of holy sites is a common responsibility of the entire world community, and the Congress serves as a unique platform where spiritual and political leaders can unite their efforts to promote the ideas of tolerance and mutual respect.
In turn, the UN Under-Secretary-General, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos highly praised the steps taken by Kazakhstan to ensure peace and stability at the global level. He also expressed his readiness to assist in the implementation of joint initiatives in this direction.
Also, within the framework of the Special Session, the UN Action Plan to Safeguard Religious Sites, developed under the leadership of Miguel Ángel Moratinos, was presented. The document includes specific measures to ensure the security of places of worship, protect believers, strengthen legal mechanisms, and promote the global values of mutual respect and solidarity.
On the same day, a number of bilateral meetings of the Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, Maulen Ashimbayev, took place. With the UN Under-Secretary-General, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Maulen Ashimbayev discussed prospects for cooperation in key areas, in particular, in the context of coordinating efforts to strengthen interreligious harmony and the global dialogue of civilizations. They also spoke about joint efforts to overcome problems related to the spheres of education, youth development, migration, and the role of women and the media.
The agenda of the meeting with the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, Muhammad Abdelsalam, included, along with issues of promoting global interreligious and inter-civilizational dialogue, the tasks of strengthening cooperation between the Council and the Secretariat of the Congress. In particular, an exchange of views took place regarding the realization of the potential of young religious leaders in solving current problems of humanity.
At the meeting with the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, prospects for cooperation were outlined, including the development of spiritual diplomacy in the context of growing international tension, and tasks for the further promotion of interreligious dialogue at the international level.
The distinguished guests, for their part, expressed gratitude for the efforts made by Kazakhstan to promote tolerance and the peaceful coexistence of representatives of various religions, and to form a correct system of values. They also noted the authority and high role of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in promoting interfaith and inter-civilizational dialogue.
(Press Office of the Senate, 74-72-27. Photo by: N.Baibullin)
