Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on  2 December 2020          [without reference to a Main Committee (A/75/L.36/Rev.1 and  A/75/L.36/Rev.1/Add.1)]        75/26. Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,  understanding and cooperation for peace        The General Assembly,    Reaffirming the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United  Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1 in particular the right to  freedom of thought, conscience and religion,    Recalling its resolution 74/23 of 12 December 2019 on the promotion of  interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace,  and its other related resolutions,    Recalling also its resolution 53/243 of 13 September 1999 on the Declaration  and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, which serves as a universal mandate  for the international community for the promotion of a culture of peace and  non-violence that benefits humanity, in particular future generations, and welcoming  the convening of the High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace by the President of  the General Assembly on 10 September 2020,    Recalling further that, in its resolution 67/104 of 17 December 2012, it  proclaimed the period 2013–2022 the International Decade for the Rapprochement of  Cultures and invited the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural  Organization, in that context, to be the lead agency in the United Nations system,    Encouraging, in this regard, activities aimed at promoting interreligious and  intercultural dialogue in order to enhance peace and social stability, respect for  diversity and mutual respect and to create, at the global level, and also at the regional,  __________________    1  Resolution 217 A (III).   A/RES/75/26  Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,  understanding and cooperation for peace   20-16414 2/7    national and local levels, an environment conducive to peace and mutual  understanding,    Recalling its resolution 69/312 of 6 July 2015 on the United Nations Alliance of  Civilizations, in which it reaffirmed its support for the Alliance and reiterated the  valuable role of the Alliance in promoting greater understanding and respect among  civilizations, cultures, religions and beliefs,    Recalling also its resolution 36/55 of 25 November 1981, by which it  proclaimed the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of  Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, and its resolutions 72/241 of  20 December 2017 on a world against violence and violent extremism, 72/284 of  26 June 2018 on the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Strategy Review, 73/285 of  2 April 2019 on combating terrorism and other acts of violence based on religion or  belief and 73/328 of 25 July 2019 on promoting interreligious and intercultural  dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech,    Recalling further its resolution 72/130 of 8 December 2017, by which it  proclaimed the International Day of Living Together in Peace and underlined that it  constitutes a means of mobilizing the efforts of the international community to  promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity,    Recalling its resolution 74/306 of 11 September 2020, in which it recognized  that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is one of the greatest global challenges in  the history of the United Nations, expressed deep concern about the rise in  discrimination, hate speech, stigmatization, racism and xenophobia related to the  pandemic and stressed the need to counter them as part of the COVID-19 response,    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 launch by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Strategy and  Plan of Action on Hate Speech,    Noting also the leading role played by the United Nations Alliance of  Civilizations in preparing the United Nations Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious  Sites, noting further the launch of the Plan of Action by the Secretary-General on  12 September 2019, and inviting Member States to consider implementing the  relevant recommendations addressed to them, in collaboration with other  stakeholders, as appropriate,   Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,  understanding and cooperation for peace  A/RES/75/26   3/7 20-16414      Noting further the Unite for Heritage campaign launched by the United Nations  Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in March 2015, which is aimed at  celebrating and safeguarding 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 minorities,  including their right to exercise their religion or belief freely,    Recalling also its resolution 73/296 of 28 May 2019, in which it decided to  designate 22 August as the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of  Violence Based on Religion or Belief,    Expressing deep concern at the instances of intolerance and discrimination and  acts of violence occurring in the world, including cases motivated by discrimination  against persons belonging to religious minorities, in addition to the negative  projection of the followers of religions and the enforcement of measures that  specifically discriminate against persons on the basis of religion or belief,    Recognizing the significance accorded to religious symbols by individuals in  many religions and societies, and in this regard underscoring the importance of  promoting mutual respect, tolerance and peaceful coexistence,    Reaffirming that violence can and should never be a justifiable or acceptable  response to acts of intolerance on the basis of religion or belief and that such violence  should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group,    Reaffirming also the positive role that the exercise of the right to freedom of  opinion and expression and full respect for the freedom to seek, receive and impart  information can play in strengthening democracy and combating religious  intolerance, and reaffirming further that the exercise of the right to freedom of  expression carries with it special duties and responsibilities, in accordance with  article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 2    Recalling article 20 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political  Rights, which states that any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that  constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by  law,    Recalling also its resolution 73/329 of 25 July 2019, in which it declared 5 April  the International Day of Conscience,    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,    Reaffirming  the  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development,3  and  acknowledging that the 2030 Agenda includes the promotion of peaceful and  inclusive societies for sustainable development,    Noting 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  __________________    2  See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.    3  Resolution 70/1.   A/RES/75/26  Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,  understanding and cooperation for peace   20-16414 4/7    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 Traditional  Religions, held in Astana in October 2018, the third World Nomad Games, held in  Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, and organized under the patronage of the United Nations  Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in September 2018, the  establishment of the International Institute for Tolerance and the Muslim Council of  Elders in the United Arab Emirates, in 2017, and the launch of the World Tolerance  Summit, in Abu Dhabi, all of which contribute to promoting social cohesion and  inclusion, peace and development,    Acknowledging the preparations under way by the Inter-Parliamentary Union,  in cooperation with the United Nations, to organize, in May 2022 in the Russian  Federation, the World Conference of Heads of States, Parliamentarians and  Representatives of the World Religions on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue  for the Benefit of Peace and Mankind,    Noting the cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other  organizations in the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,    Noting also the adoption of the Yerevan Declaration of the seventeenth Summit  of Heads of State and Government of la Francophonie, on the theme “Living  together”, held in Yerevan on 11 and 12 October 2018,    Welcoming the leading role of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and  Cultural Organization, as well as the work of the United Nations Alliance of  Civilizations, in promoting intercultural dialogue,    Welcoming also the work of the Anna Lindh Foundation and the ongoing work  of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and  Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna,    Noting the declaration of the Forum on the Role of Religious Leaders in  Preventing Incitement that could Lead to Atrocity Crimes, held in Fez, Morocco, on  23 and 24 April 2015, and further efforts that build on the Rabat Plan of Action on  the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes  incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence 4 and the Istanbul Process for  Combating Intolerance, Discrimination and Incitement to Hatred and/or Violence on  the Basis of Religion or Belief,    Welcoming the Declaration on Promoting Cultural Pluralism and Peace through  Interfaith and Inter-ethnic Dialogue, endorsed by the 137th Assembly of the  Inter-Parliamentary Union, held in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, from 14 to  18 October 2017,    Referring to the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, organized biennially  by Azerbaijan in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and  Cultural Organization, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the World  Tourism Organization, the Council of Europe and the Islamic Educational, Scientific  and Cultural Organization, as a key global platform for promoting intercultural  dialogue,5    Acknowledging the positive contribution of individuals and of relevant civil  society organizations to the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,  understanding and the culture of peace,  __________________    4  A/HRC/22/17/Add.4, appendix.    5  A/74/476, para. 9.   Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,  understanding and cooperation for peace  A/RES/75/26   5/7 20-16414      Underlining the importance of education, including education on culture, peace,  tolerance, mutual understanding and human rights, in promoting interreligious and  intercultural dialogue, respect for diversity, and the elimination of discrimination  based on religion or belief,    Recognizing the contributions of the media and of new information and  communications technologies to promoting peoples’ understanding of different  cultures and religions, including through the promotion of dialogue,    Reaffirming the importance of sustaining the process of engaging all  stakeholders, including young men and women as relevant actors, in interreligious  and intercultural dialogue within the appropriate initiatives at various levels, which  is aimed at challenging prejudices, improving mutual understanding and fostering  cooperation,    Recognizing the commitment of all religions to peace and the contribution that  interreligious and intercultural dialogue among religions, groups and individuals, in  particular religious leaders, can make towards an improved awareness and  understanding of the common values shared by all humankind,    Noting the Appeal for Peace, signed by religious leaders during the World Day  of Prayer for Peace, held in Assisi, Italy, on 20 September 2016,    Taking note of the document entitled “Human fraternity for world peace and  living together”, which was signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar,  Ahmad al-Tayyib, on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi,    1.  Reaffirms that mutual understanding and interreligious and intercultural  dialogue constitute important dimensions of the dialogue among civilizations and of  the culture of peace;    2.  Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the promotion of a  culture of peace and interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and  cooperation for peace;6    3.  Recognizes the importance of interreligious and intercultural dialogue and  its valuable contribution to promoting social cohesion and inclusion, peace and  development, and calls upon Member States to consider, as appropriate and where  applicable, interreligious and intercultural dialogue as an important tool in efforts  aimed at achieving peace and social stability and the full realization of the Sustainable  Development Goals;    4.  Also recognizes the efforts by relevant stakeholders to foster peaceful and  harmonious coexistence within societies by promoting respect for religious and  cultural diversity, including by engendering sustained and robust interaction among  various segments of society;    5.  Further recognizes the leading role of the United Nations Educational,  Scientific and Cultural Organization on intercultural dialogue and its contribution to  interreligious dialogue, as well as its activities related to the culture of peace and  non-violence and its focus on concrete actions at the global, regional and subregional  levels, and recognizes the contribution by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations  in this regard;    6.  Welcomes the declarations adopted by the Global Forums of the United  Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and invites relevant stakeholders to continue their  efforts to promote mutual understanding among different civilizations, cultures,  religions and beliefs;  __________________    6  A/75/233.   A/RES/75/26  Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,  understanding and cooperation for peace   20-16414 6/7      7.  Also welcomes the efforts undertaken by the High Representative for the  United Nations Alliance of Civilizations in promoting intercultural and interreligious  dialogue, strengthening social cohesion and promoting a culture of peace, and takes  note of his recent “Call for mutual respect”;    8.  Calls upon Member States, which have the primary responsibility to  counter discrimination and hate speech, and all relevant actors, including political  and religious leaders, to promote inclusion and unity in response to the COVID-19  pandemic and to combat and speak out and take strong action against racism,  xenophobia, hate speech, violence, discrimination, including on the basis of age, and  stigmatization;    9.  Reaffirms the solemn commitment of all States to fulfil their obligations  and commitments to promote universal respect for and observance and protection of  all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all in accordance with the Charter of  the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other instruments  relating to human rights and international law, the universal nature of these rights and  freedoms being beyond question;    10. Welcomes the initiative to open up the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor in the  spirit of interfaith harmony and peaceful neighbourhood, and appreciates the  agreement between the Governments of India and Pakistan to allow visa-free access  to pilgrims of all faiths, especially Nanak Naam Levas and the Sikh community from  across the world, as a landmark initiative for interreligious and intercultural  cooperation for peace;    11.  Also welcomes the joint statement issued by Spain and Turkey as  co-sponsors of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations after the successful  conclusion of the eighth Global Forum of the Alliance, on the theme  “#Commit2Dialogue: partnerships for prevention and sustaining peace”, held in  New  York on 19 and 20 November 2018, and invites relevant stakeholders to continue  their efforts to promote cross-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding among  different civilizations, cultures, religions and beliefs;    12. Underlines the importance of moderation as a value within societies for  countering violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, while respecting  human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for further contributing to the promotion  of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, tolerance, understanding and cooperation,  and encourages efforts, as appropriate, to enable voices of moderation to work  together in order to build a more secure, inclusive and peaceful world;    13. Welcomes the efforts by the media to promote interreligious and  intercultural dialogue, encourages the further promotion of dialogue among the media  from all cultures and civilizations, emphasizes that everyone has the right to freedom  of expression, and reaffirms that the exercise of this right carries with it special duties  and responsibilities and may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but that these  can be only such as are provided by law and necessary for respect of the rights or  reputations of others, and protection of national security or of public order, or of  public health and morals, and are non-discriminatory and applied in a manner that  does not obstruct the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion;    14. Also welcomes the efforts to use information and communications  technologies, including the Internet, to promote interreligious and intercultural  dialogue, including through the Interfaith Dialogue ePortal established following the  Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and  Cooperation for Peace and Development, held in Manila in 2010, as well as the Peace  and Dialogue ePortal of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural  Organization, and encourages relevant stakeholders to utilize the opportunity to   Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue,  understanding and cooperation for peace  A/RES/75/26   7/7 20-16414    disseminate their best practices and experiences on interreligious and intercultural  dialogue by contributing to the Interfaith Dialogue ePortal and to the Peace and  Dialogue ePortal;    15. Encourages Member States to consider, as and where appropriate,  initiatives that identify areas for practical action in all sectors and levels of society  for the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, tolerance,  understanding and cooperation, inter alia, the ideas suggested during the High-level  Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for  Peace, held in New York in October 2007, including the idea of an enhanced process  of dialogue among world religions, as well as the ideas suggested during the third  High Panel on Peace and Dialogue among Cultures, held in Paris in November 2012;    16. Acknowledges the active engagement of the United Nations system with  faith-based and cultural organizations and other relevant non-governmental  organizations in the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue and in  bringing together people of different cultures, religions, faiths or beliefs to discuss  common issues and objectives;    17. Also acknowledges the important role of civil society, including academia,  in fostering interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and encourages support for  practical measures that mobilize civil society, including building capacities,  opportunities and frameworks for cooperation;    18. Invites Member States to further promote reconciliation to help to ensure  durable peace and sustained development, including by working with faith leaders  and communities and through reconciliatory measures and acts of service and by  encouraging forgiveness and compassion among individuals;    19. Recognizes that the Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination  for Sustainable Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of  the Secretariat plays a valuable role as focal point within the Secretariat on the issue,  and encourages it to continue to interact and coordinate with the relevant entities of  the United Nations system and coordinate their contribution to the intergovernmental  process aimed at promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue;    20. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its  seventy-sixth session on the implementation of the present resolution.