Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and Common Citizenship

[ 3 ] — OPENING CEREMONY — In Austria’s view, progress in the Process of EU Enlarge- ment is now of particular relevance, and contributes to the growing interest in the Centre’s work, further enhancing its status on the local and global stage. With its multireligious Board of Directors, we represent the major world religions. Thanks to the support of the eminent members of the Advi- sory Forum and the network of its Member States and international partners, the Centre is suited unlike any other to promote respect, trust and understanding among people in their quest for peaceful coexistence and cooperation. We currently witness conflicts where religion is misused to justify violence, thereby polarizing and dividing religious communities as well as cultural and social relations within societies. Promoting peace and understanding through encounters and dialogue, according to the Centre’s mission and expertise, is exactly what is urgently needed. Austria has supported the idea of a permanent institution for dialogue from the beginning — building trust through dialogue between cultures and religions has been an integral part of Austrian foreign policy for a long time. Dialogue has proven its efficiency in combating stereo- types and prejudices as well as in strengthening democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Against the backdrop of migration and integration, we are called to further advance dialogue in order to secure peaceful understanding, cul- tural and religious diversity and to fight extremism, hate and violence. Because religion plays an important role in many societies, the exchange with religious leaders has become increasingly important for policymakers. We highly value the insight of religious leaders into peo- ple’s lives as well as the capacity for dialogue. I’m pleased to see here some of the esteemed dialogue partners I’ve had the pleasure to meet regularly over the past few years. I’m convinced that the exchange and cooperation between policymakers and religious leaders is for the benefit of our democratic societies, notwithstanding the separation of state and religions in their respective areas of responsibility. The former foreign minister, Sebastian Kurz, established a dialogue process with the leaders of the 16 legally recog- nized churches and religious communities in Austria, and many of them are present here today. They agreed on the Joint Statement for Freedom of Religions and Belief and the protection of religious minorities as well as protection against the abuse of religions to justify oppression, violence and conflict. Furthermore, Austria developed a variety of initiatives consistent with the January 2016 Action Plan of the Secretary General of the United Nations which recom- mended the establishment of dialogue platforms. The plan further emphasised the important role of reli- gious leaders in condemning crimes committed in the name of religion and to provide better education on the peaceful practice of religions. It is this sort of dialogue that needs to be taken to the regional and global levels, and it is exactly this initiative that KAICIID, with a multireligious and multi- stakeholder approach, has taken with the 2014 conference, HE Dr. Michael Linhart Secretary General for Foreign Affairs Republic of Austria Dr. Linhart entered the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs (BMaA) in 1986. He then served at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in various directorates including the OSCE, Consular Affairs, and Multilateral Economic Affairs. Over his illustrious career, he has served in numerous diplomatic posts including in Addis Ababa, Damascus, Zagreb, Syria and Greece. Dr. Linhart was appointed Deputy Chief of Cabinet to the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Wolfgang Schüssel. He then became Foreign Affairs Adviser to Chancellor Schüssel and then Director General of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the operational unit of the Austrian Development Cooperation. Since 2013 Dr. Linhart served as Secretary General for Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Austria. In April 2018, after the close of the conference, he was appointed Head of the Austrian Embassy in Paris. Dialogue has proven its efficiency in combating stereotypes and prejudices as well as in strengthening democracy, human rights and the rule of law