4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue: High-Level Task Force Meeting at UNESCO Headquarters

Five months ahead of the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, on December 5, 2016, an International High Level Task Force preparatory meeting took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

This meeting is supported by the Government of Azerbaijan with the participation of Abulfas Garayev, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and is organized in close partnership with UNESCO.

The High-Level Task Force meeting was attended by the officials of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan to UNESCO, UNESCO, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Council of Europe, ISESCO and the North-South Center of the Council of Europe.

The participants discussed proposals of the organizations, which they represented for the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue to be held on May 5-6 in Baku.

Head of the Department of International Cooperation at the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Secretary of the International Working Group on Intercultural Dialogue Vasif Eyvazzade and Azerbaijan`s Permanent Representative to UNESCO Anar Karimov informed about the “Baku process”, the next Forum’s priorities, expectations from partner international organizations in the expert meeting.

Two sessions took  place on this occasion:
– the World Forum Task Force Expert Meeting to review the proposals made by different partners for the agenda of the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, and
– the World Forum and World Summit High Level Meeting, which constitutes an innovation of the upcoming 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue.

Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan Abulfas Garayev who chaired the meeting thanked the participants, including UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, and other senior officials for participating in the meeting. He also expressed his gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for support on the initiative of “Baku process” and the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue.

At the end of the meeting, it was decided that the opening ceremony attended by senior government officials, 3rd meeting of the ministers of culture and tourism in the world, the first high-level meeting of heads of international organizations in financial, economic, political, cultural and social spheres, the plenary and panel sessions on culture and heritage, human security, peace and sustainable development, migration, the fight against extremism, religion and belief, tourism, education, science, youth and media would be held as part of the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue
The World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue remains a relevant platform that supports the objectives of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022)