President To Open UNAOC Global Forum

Jakarta, Aug 26 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to officially open the Sixth Global Forum of United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC), Bali, on August 29, 2014. The objective of the Global Forum is to bridge inter-civilization communication across the world, Teuku Faizasyah, a presidential special staff in charge of international relations noted in a statement. "UNAOC is aimed at promoting `Harmony among Civilizations` and to bridge the gap between Islam and the West. Furthermore, UNAOC endorses the common political will and aims to mobilize common actions against prejudice, misperception, and to eliminate extremism in societies," he emphasized. The UNAOC was initiated by the former UN secretary general Kofi Annan on July 14, 2005, and was co-sponsored by the former prime minister of Spain Jose Luis Rodreguez Zapatero and Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The first UNAOC Global Forum was held in Madrid, Spain, in 2008 to jointly condemn extremist actions, such as bomb attacks in Bali, Madrid, Egypt, Istanbul, and London. The Bali Forum will be attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, UN High Representative of the UNAOC Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, and prominent speakers from government and non-government organizations. The meeting will be preceded by the UNAOC Youth Forum bringing together around 200 youth delegates from across the world, on August 28, 2014. On the sidelines of the Global Forum, President Yudhoyono is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings respectively with Ban Ki-Moon, OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani, and UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, according to Faizasyah. The Global Forum themed "Unity in Diversity" is focusing on four pillars: Education, Youth, Media, and Migration. The theme is based on Indonesia`s national motto of "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" or "Unity in Diversity." The motto reflects the outlook of Indonesia`s founding fathers and embraces the wealth of Indonesia`s cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity. The Sixth UNAOC Global Forum, which will be organized in Bali, on August 29-30, 2014, will be attended by 114 members of UNAOC`s Group of Friends (GoF) and 20 ministerial-level officials.