Baku International Humanitarian Forum, initiated by the Azerbaijani government, will promote objectives of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), said UNESCO Deputy Director General Getachew Engida addressing the forum’s opening Sept. 29.

The V Baku International Humanitarian Forum has kicked off on Sept. 29 in the Heydar Aliyev center in Baku.

“We live in a period of globalization, which brings new threats to peace with destructive social transformations and dramatic movements of peoples,” said Engida.

He noted that the world is facing the most significant refugee crisis over the recent period, and this is a direct consequence of frequent conflicts that are fueled by rise of radicalization and extremism and as a result, cause suffering to millions of people, and especially young people.

Engida said also that the UN agenda in the area of sustainable development for the period until 2030 envisages a commitment to global action, in spite of the current challenges.

In particular, it is necessary to ensure the education of children and young people affected by war and crises, and to prevent the spread of extremism in the sphere of education, he added.

UNESCO’s strategy for the protection of culture and promotion of cultural pluralism is also extremely important, especially in the periods of armed conflicts, said the deputy director general.

This becomes particularly important in a world, where people from different cultures and religions are becoming closer to each other, he added.

He said also that the UNESCO strives for this by creating stable platforms giving new opportunities for dialogue, intercultural meetings and cultural literacy.

The formation of such mechanisms helps to achieve the UNESCO’s main goal – to promote the ideas of intercultural peace and interreligious dialogue, noted Engida.

He added that new transboundary actions, cooperation between governments, civil society and private sector are important for the implementation of these goals.