3rd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue

18-19 May 2015, Baku, Azerbaijan

“Sharing Culture for Shared Security”

Under the patronage of H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in cooperation with UNESCO, UN Alliance of Civilizations, UN World Tourism Organization, Council of Europe (including the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe) and ISESCO, the 3rd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue was held on May 18-19, 2015 in Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue has become a key global platform for dialogue between people, as Azerbaijan is one of the unique places where different cultures and civilizations meet at the crossroads between the East and the West, the North and the South. At the same time, being a member of both Islamic and European organizations, Azerbaijan absorbs the values of both civilizations, thus enabling it to assume a role of genuine bridge.

WFID 2015: Sharing Culture for Shared Security

The 3rd World Forum had a major concern for culture and sustainable development in the 2015 development agenda and focused primarily on projects and programmes dedicated to the 21st of May World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development declared by the UN General Assembly, as well as the role of faith, religions, migration, sport, education, and business in building trust and cooperation among cultures and civilisations.

The theme of the 3rd World Forum reflected the significance of global security in 2015 and the global attention placed on the security of vulnerable people at a time of significant human insecurity. Placing intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity higher on the international agenda is critical for human security and a prime responsibility of our time. World Forums organised so far have brought together heads of governments, ministers, heads of various international organizations, senior policy makers, cultural professionals, goodwill ambassadors, experts, journalists, practitioners, prominent intellectuals and activists. The World Forums have become an international platform to enable and encourage people, countries and organizations around the world to take concrete actions to support diversity, dialogue and mutual understanding among and between nations and communities by raising awareness of the importance of dialogue.