Being the host of many important international events, Azerbaijan successfully managed to organise the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku, sticking to tradition. Today, Azerbaijan has already demonstrated that it has high experience organising such international events.
It is no coincidence that this year, Azerbaijan hosts the Conference of the Parties (COP29), an international event related to climate issues, and plays the role of a strategic venue for many countries to meet in Baku, the city of winds. President Ilham Aliyev focused on this issue while addressing the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue.
“By unanimous decision, Azerbaijan was elected as a host country, and we see our role in building bridges. Our history, geography, and interaction with European institutions, while at the same time being geographically located between the West and East, enable us to do a lot. I think that for the successful development of issues related to climate change, we need not only finance—finance will be, by the way, the main topic of COP 29— but also solidarity and mutual trust,” the President said.
The sixth event of the Forum is also related to an important and significant event. Thus, the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, which is an integral part of the "Baku Process" on intercultural dialogue initiated by President Ilham Aliyev in 2008, was first held in Baku in 2011, and subsequently organized in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019.
The number of countries and organisations participating in the Forum has significantly increased over the past period. In total, more than 10,000 participants—government officials, heads and representatives of international organisations and institutions—attended the forums. At the same time, more than 200 various events, plenary and panel discussions, and presentations were organised as part of the forums. The discussions held as part of the five previous forums, which focused on the challenges facing humanity, and the documents drawn up there, served as the main reference for international organisations, and the “Baku Process” has been recognised as an important platform for intercultural dialogue.
There are other valid reasons for holding the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Azerbaijan. One of them is the recognition of Azerbaijan as the centre of multiculturalism. Azerbaijan has been the homeland of peoples of various ethnic and religious affiliations for centuries. Today, in Azerbaijan, peoples of all religions are closely united under one flag as friends and brothers. One of the reasons for this is the people's strong belief in statehood.
The Patriotic War started in 2020 against the Armenian occupation, and the joint determination of the people for the sake of the homeland proved this. Speaking at the opening of the forum, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan emphasised the historicity of this solidarity.
“Azerbaijan has been a crossroads of cultures for centuries. Our geographical location, positioned between East and West, has paved the way for this tendency.
In Azerbaijan, representatives from various ethnic groups and religions live together like a family. They are valued citizens of Azerbaijan and genuine patriots of our state and statehood. We must strengthen these positive tendencies, cultural dialogue, and cultural diversity. All of this is a treasure that has come down through the centuries,” the president emphasised.
It should be noted that the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue is not limited only to the issue of multiculturalism and the unity of cultures. This international event, which envisages the discussion of different problems in the world, also brought to the fore the daily discussion of global warming, the policy of colonialism that is still continued in some European countries, and other important issues.
In his address, the head of state, Ilham Aliyev, emphasised that the policy of colonialism continued today by countries that consider themselves to be the most influential in the political arena, especially in Europe, is inadmissible. During the chairmanship of the Azerbaijan to Non-Aligned Movement, it repeatedly touched on this issue and called on the world community to fight together against colonialism, the most embarrassing problem of the 21st century.
“We speak for international law, and today, in the 21st century, we cannot afford to allow some big European countries to continue colonising other peoples. This is absolutely unacceptable. When we raise our voice nationally, and previously as the chair of NAM, it's not because we are acting against any country. It’s just because we defend justice and international law.
The world should not turn a blind eye to this disgusting practice of neo-colonialism, which is leading to forceful assimilation. Forceful assimilation of more than ten French overseas territories is absolutely unacceptable and must be stopped, ” the head of state underlined.
The Forum, organised by the government of Azerbaijan, in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC), the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO), brings together 700 distinguished guests representing more than 100 countries.
High-level officials, heads of parliament, religious leaders, scholars, journalists, and participants from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds came together to advance peace and global security through meaningful dialogue.
The three-day Forum will feature 4 plenary sessions and 12 panel discussions on topics such as education, youth, climate change, artificial intelligence, protection of cultural heritage, illegal migration, and other areas.
The Forum participants will visit the territories of Azerbaijan liberated from the 30-year-long occupation. The Forum will also feature special panel sessions scheduled to be held in Shusha. This is also a good opportunity to provide a platform to appeal to the international community from the liberated territories of Azerbaijan.
