United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)

  • 18 Dec 2025

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India recently reaffirmed its civilisational philosophy of VasudhaivaKutumbakam (“the world is one family”) and commitment to religious harmony at the 11th UNAOC Global Forum held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Indian delegation highlighted India’s long-standing belief in pluralism, intercultural dialogue, and Sarva Dharma Samabhav (equal respect for all religions).

About the UNAOC

Feature

Details

Launched

2005

Initiative of

Kofi Annan (former UN Secretary-General)

Co-sponsored by

Governments of Spain and Türkiye

Nature

UN “soft-power” political initiative

Secretariat

New York, USA

Funding

Voluntary Trust Fund administered by the UN Secretariat

Participants

Governments, regional bodies, civil society, private sector, youth groups

Core Objectives of UNAOC

UNAOC aims to:

  • Promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue
  • Reduce polarisation, extremism, xenophobia and hate speech
  • Encourage mutual respect, inclusion and peaceful coexistence
  • Serve as a platform for conflict prevention and resolution through dialogue

Global Forum of UNAOC

The Global Forum is the flagship event of UNAOC:

  • Brings together political leaders, religious figures, youth, media and civil society
  • Focuses on bridging cultural divides
  • Acts as a high-level platform for policy dialogue and partnership-building

The 11th Forum marked two decades of UNAOC’s work in strengthening intercultural cooperation.

Funding Mechanism

  • Operates through a Voluntary Trust Fund
  • Contributions from:
    • UN Member States
    • International organizations
    • Foundations
    • Private sector
  • Fund supports projects, outreach, and administrative functions