Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,
understanding and cooperation for peace
A/RES/73/129
Recalling further its resolution 53/22 of 4 November 1998, by which it declared
2001 the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations and expressed its firm
determination to facilitate and promote dialogue among civilizations,
Recalling its resolution 36/55 of 25 November 1981, by which it proclaimed the
Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Disc rimination
Based on Religion or Belief,
Bearing in mind the valuable contribution that interreligious and intercultural
dialogue can make to an improved awareness and understanding of the common
values shared by all humankind,
Noting that interreligious and intercultural dialogue has made significant
contributions to mutual understanding, tolerance and respect, as well as to the
promotion of a culture of peace and an improvement of overall relations among
people from different cultural and religious backgrounds and among nations,
Noting also the growing importance of interreligious and intercultural dialogue
in the context of the global phenomenon of migration, which increases interaction
among persons and communities from various traditions, cultures and religions,
Recognizing that cultural diversity and the pursuit of cultural development by
all peoples and nations are sources of mutual enrichment for the cultural life of
humankind,
Convinced that the promotion of cultural pluralism and tolerance towards and
dialogue among various cultures and civilizations would contribute to the efforts of
all peoples and nations to enrich their cultures and traditions by engaging in a
mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and intellectual, moral and material
achievements,
Noting the Unite for Heritage campaign launched by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in March 2015, which aims to
celebrate and safeguard cultural heritage and diversity around the world, and the
Conference on Safeguarding Endangered Cultural Heritage, held in Abu Dhabi on
2 and 3 December 2016, and the declaration adopted at the Conference,
Recalling that States have the primary responsibility to promote and protect
human rights, including the human rights of persons belonging to religious minori ties,
including their right to exercise their religion or belief freely,
Bearing in mind that tolerance of cultural, ethnic, religious and linguistic
diversities contributes towards peace, mutual understanding and friendship among
people of different cultures and nations and that these diversities should be made part
of intercultural and interreligious dialogue efforts, as appropriate,
Welcoming the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 2 and
acknowledging that the 2030 Agenda includes the promotion of peaceful and
inclusive societies for sustainable development,
Welcoming also the various initiatives at the local, national, regional and
international levels for enhancing interreligious and intercultural dialogue,
understanding and cooperation, and for strengthening people-to-people bonds, which
are mutually reinforcing and interrelated, such as the establishment of the Hamad bin
Khalifa Civilization Center in Copenhagen in 2014, the African Initiative on
Education for Peace and Development through Interreligious and Intercultural
Dialogue, launched in Cotonou, Benin, in May 2015, the thirteenth Doha Conference
on Interfaith Dialogue, held in Qatar, the sixth Congress of Leaders of World and
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2/6
Resolution 70/1.
18-21727