UN alliance of civilisations chief Sampaio welcomes General Assembly recognition
21/11/2009

Formal support from the UN General Assembly to the UN Alliance for Civilisations has major significance for the future viability of the initiative, its head said late last week.

Former Portuguese president Jorge Sampaio, UN high representative for the alliance of civilisations, told Lusa: “Despite the Alliance being a UN initiative with support from the secretary-general and sponsorship from Spain and Turkey, it was important that there was this recognition. This was lacking in the General Assembly, especially in the context of working for peace.” The UN General Assembly voted last Tuesday to support the Alliance for Civilizations, which has over 100 members, including 17 international organizations, four years after its creation. Sampaio, a Socialist, was a two-term president of Portugal and also served as the capital’s mayor.

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