Signatories of the Cascais Declaration, adopted during the high-level meeting of the Group of Friends of the Alliance of Civilizations, also welcomed the Fez Plan of Action on the role of religious leaders in countering incitement to violence. They called on UN member states, the UN system, regional and non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to support the UN plan to protect religious sites in line with its objectives.
The document recognizes the role of religious leaders in conflict mediation and development cooperation, emphasizing the need to combat all forms of religious intolerance and to promote the implementation of the UN plan for the protection of religious sites.
The Declaration reaffirms political commitment to the five pillars of the Alliance of Civilizations: youth, education, migration, media, and women. It highlights the work done in these areas and their constructive role in fostering conflict prevention, mediation, and reconciliation.
The document underscores the central role of inclusive, quality, and transformative education in promoting dialogue, peace, and human rights. Signatories urged the Alliance to continue its work through various projects in collaboration with governments, international organizations, foundations, civil society organizations, and media.
Furthermore, the Cascais Declaration highlights the importance of the UNAOC Forum as a platform for intercultural and interreligious dialogue, fostering cooperation, solidarity, and human fraternity. It emphasizes the importance of intergenerational dialogue for peace, sustainable development, and human rights, as well as the role of sports diplomacy as a tool for promoting dialogue.
The Declaration notes the positive impact of safe, orderly, and regular migration on both origin and destination countries, including the promotion of multiculturalism. It calls for encouraging the creative vision of youth to prevent xenophobia and promote positive narratives about cultural diversity, social inclusion, and mobility.
Signatories also recognized the potential of artificial intelligence as a tool to promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue, highlighting the need to combat misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech while ensuring the integrity of information.
The Declaration commends UNAOC’s engagement with the private sector to enhance the capacity of innovative projects implemented by civil society organizations, connecting people and cultures and promoting dialogue and understanding at global, regional, and local levels.
It calls for the implementation of the recommendations and commitments made at the UN Global Conference on the Protection of Religious Sites, held alongside the 10th UNAOC Global Forum in Cascais.
The Declaration emphasizes the full implementation of the declarations and commitments made during the 10th UNAOC Global Forum, noting that the Cascais forum achieved its primary goal of establishing UNAOC as a truly global initiative with comprehensive objectives. Lastly, the Cascais Declaration welcomed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s offer to host the 11th UNAOC Global Forum in 2026.
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