Participants of UNAOC Global Forum attend cultural program

/By Azernews/

By Amina Nazarli

Participants of the 7th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations running in Baku on April 25-27 attended the concert by national singers.

Azerbaijani people’s artist, mugham master Alim Gasimov and his daughter Fargana Gasimova performed for guests at the International Mugham Center following the Youth Event.

The Gasimovs performed mugham, folk songs and tasnifs to a rapturous applause from the audience.

Earlier, winners of an international photo contest, jointly organized by the Youth and Sport Ministry and the Culture and Tourism Ministry have been announced.

Held within the Forum, the contest entitled “Intercultural Dialogue from the Point of View of Youth” aimed to improve the values of cultural difference, tolerance and mutual understanding, as well as to promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue through the medium of photography.

Addressing the awarding ceremony, Azerbaijani Minister of Youth and Sport Azad Rahimov said around 900 young people from 97 countries submitted their photos for the contest.

A Spanish photographer won the contest, with an Egyptian photographer being second. Azerbaijani and Pakistani photographers shared the third place.

Also, presentation of the book "Me, We, Us" devoted to Alliance took place in Baku within the Youth Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).

Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev on behalf of the government of Azerbaijan has thanked the UN Alliance of Civilizations for support of holding the Forum in Baku.

Having noted that Azerbaijan makes huge contribution to intercultural dialogue, the Minister has emphasized that one of the measures in this area is preparation of the book "Me, We, Us".

As stated, preparation of the book has got support of the President of Azerbaijan and the management of the Alliance of Civilizations. The book narrates about peaceful co-existence of the cultures, ideas and approaches providing mutual understanding. Having emphasized that Baku hosts numerous relevant actions, Minister Garayev has added that this tradition is one of the main activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Addressing the event, the United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser noted that clashes between civilizations in the modern world are created by very serious problems. The High Representative has told that the main objective of Alliance of Civilizations consists in encouragement of coexistence of representatives of various religions and cultures. Having emphasized that the book is of great significance from the point of view of promotion of intercultural dialogue, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser noted that it is also a bright example of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Alliance of Civilizations.

UNAOC Global Forum is one of the largest forums in the world. By holding the event, Baku will make a contribution to solution of many important global conflicts.

The three-day forum will discuss many global issues including fight against terrorism and extremism, the role of youth, religion, education, as well as global migration and non-proliferation of hate rhetoric.

The Baku Declaration is also expected to be adopted during the UNAOC Global Forum.

President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on July 24, 2015 to create an organizing committee for holding the 7th UNAOC Global Forum in Baku.