"From Interfaith And Inter-Civilizational Cooperation To Human Solidarity"
International Conference
(Vienna, 19 June 2019).

VIENNA DECLARATION 

 

 

 

The participants of the International Conference,

 

entitled “From the interfaith and inter-civilizational cooperation to Human Solidarity” held on June 19, 2019 in Vienna, the capital of the Republic of Austria, with attendance of the officials of various countries and international organizations, lay leaders, academicians and religious representatives:

 

highly appreciating the interest and support rendered by the Republic of Azerbaijan, which attach utmost significance to the preservation of inter-civilizational and interfaith dialogue, divers national and cultural values and traditions of multiculturalism;

 

expressing gratitude to the co-organizers of the Conference - Baku International Centre for Interfaith and Inter-Civilizational Cooperation, KAICIID International Centre for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue, Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue and the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Republic of Austria - for the high-level organization of the event;

 

welcoming the inspiring the Document of His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyib on “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” signed on 4 February 2019, in Abu Dhabi;

 

welcoming the Ten-Point Declaration on “Moving Towards Greater Spiritual Convergence Worldwide in Support of Equal Citizenship Rights” adopted on 25 June 2018 at the World Conference held at the United Nations Office in Geneva and which received the endorsement of the UN Secretary-General; 

 

emphasizing the promotion of cultural diversity, inter-civilizational and interfaith cooperation in an atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding as an essential milestone for peace, security and human solidarity, and noting the importance of increase efforts in this direction;

 

welcoming the role of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and its collaboration with relevant stakeholders and entities to prevent violent extremism conducive to terrorism through the promotion of intercultural and interreligious dialogue,  and noting the UN Secretary-General call on the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations to reach out to governments and faith-based organizations, religious leaders and others in developing a Plan of Action for Safeguarding Religious Sites; 

 

expressing deep concern with regard to the sustained prevalence of terrorism world wide and the rise of discrimination, xenophobia, racism, as well as the growth of intolerance on the religious and ethnic grounds, exploitation of religion by terrorist and violent extremist groups, destruction of cultural, religious and historical heritage and the massive flow of refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants reaching the scale of humanitarian disaster and the lack of peace, global dialogue and human solidarity to that end;

 

particularly emphasizing that religions creeds and value systems encompassing shared human values significantly contribute to world civilization, cultural and spiritual heritage, enhance humanism, peace and justice;

 

expressing necessity to strengthen concerted the international community towards the resolution of ongoing armed conflicts, as well as addressing aggressive propaganda and instigation of inter-religious and inter-sectarian conflicts that constitute one of the major obstacle to sustainable progress, stability and security;

 

call upon all states, the United Nations, international, regional, civil society organizations, as well as religious and lay leaders

 

• to continue to promote and enhance inter-cultural and interfaith understanding and cooperation;

 

• to take effective measures to prevent terrorism and crimes against humanity and other crimes of particular gravity motivated by discrimination, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianophobiya and Islamophobia, committed in the name of religion;
• to consider any act of terror in the name of a religion an act of terror against all religious;
• to prevent any attempt by terrorists to use the sacred values of religions for realization of their malign aspirations;
• to increase cooperation in preventing the spread of harmful ideologies and propaganda that promotes violence on racial, religious and ethnic grounds, and to encourages the education of youth in this area as well as in equal and global citizenship;
• to enhance the global dialogue and increase collective efforts on the prevention of threats and challenges to international stability and security through the central coordinating role of the United Nations.
• to recognize that armed conflict, persecution and violence, including terrorism, are among the factors which give rise to large refugee movements, and address the root causes of such crisis situations in order to prevent or resolve conflict by peaceful means.  
• to uphold the respect to the Charter of the United Nations and the universally recognized principles and norms of international law, in particular the respect for the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders;

 

• to contribute to a fair peaceful settlement of ongoing conflicts around the world, including those in the Middle East, as well as Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in full conformity with the above-mentioned principles;

 

• to work together to promote the culture of acceptance and respect to religious, cultural and ethnic differences in accordance with the UNEESCO Constitution;
• to respect The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child and encourage cooperation of religious, lay, scientific and public figures in promotion and protection of human rights, as well as the rights of women and children.

 

 

Vienna, 19 June 2019