Member of the PABiH House of Representatives, Nihad Omerović, addressed the participants of the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku

Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH), Nihad Omerović, is participating in the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, under the theme "Dialogue for Peace and Global Security – Cooperation and Interconnectivity."

In his address to the participants of this global event, Omerović spoke about the need to establish and promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue in multi-ethnic societies. Congratulating on the successful organization of the Forum, Omerović stated that in today's world of pronounced conflicts, constant threats of new conflicts and present tensions in a large number of territories that possess the wealth of multiculturalism and multiethnicity, an active and systemic intercultural dialogue appears to be a primary need.

According to Omerović, discrimination, intolerance, low level of social, cultural, scientific and religious awareness, as well as the misuse of religious or ethnic affiliation represent key problems in the process of intercultural dialogue. Therefore, Omerović said, the key activities of all authorities, as well as the non-governmental sector, in order to reverse the negative trend when it comes to protecting fundamental human freedoms, social, ethnic, religious and national rights of minority groups, should be the promotion of intercultural dialogue, the protection and strengthening of human rights, the establishment of effective democratic processes, as well as the creation of legislative mechanisms that ensure the rule of law, and the achievement of strong integration and cohesion in society.

Highlighting the importance of intercultural dialogue in a religious context, Omerović said that it is necessary to keep in mind the universal and timeless value that "we must not do to others what we would not do to ourselves" and that all of us must strive together to promote universal positive values that are identical for all religions, all cultures and all nations.

According to Omerović, the example of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country with a centuries-old multiethnic and multicultural history, shows that no matter how strong the forces of evil, the struggle for freedom, based on the principles of equality and equity, always wins. Therefore, lasting global peace and a safe and prosperous society can only be built on the principle of true equality, said Omerović at the end of his address to the participants of the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku.

In a statement to numerous media teams covering this global gathering, Omerović assessed that the importance of this forum is reflected in emphasizing the need to establish a more active intercultural dialogue. According to Omerović, intercultural dialogue allows us to approach different identities in a constructive and democratic way on the basis of universal values that we share - equality, national, religious and all other freedoms. Only through pragmatic action by key actors - state leaders, parliamentarians, religious leaders, academia, cultural communities, migrant communities and the non-governmental sector - can we prevent ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural divisions, and achieve a greater degree of inter-ethnic dialogue and understanding, Omerovic said in a statement to the media in Baku.

The participants of the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue had the opportunity to exchange views, opinions and experiences through panel discussions on a number of issues, such as the role of education and youth engagement in combating xenophobia, discrimination and preventing hate crimes, the issues of migration and its social impact, as well as threats to international security, the role of women and their rights in strengthening multicultural dialogue, building trust through interfaith dialogue, and the issue of artificial intelligence as an opportunity or a threat to human culture and civilization. (end)