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Cross-cultural dialogue a necessity: FNC Speaker

RIYADH — Cross cultural dialogue has become a necessity and core strategy to address increasing international transformations, growing threats to stability of human communities and adverse repercussions of globalisation, Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr, Speaker of Federal National Council (FNC), said.

“Any true and successful dialogue among cultures and civilisations must be based on the acknowledgement of principle of cultural diversity, respecting and safeguarding it as departure for a common future for humanity,” Al Murr said in an intervention at the third Consultative Conference for Speakers of Parliaments of G20 Member States which is being held in Riyadh. Al Murr spelt out the FNC’s vision for building a dynamic international cross-cultural dialogue based on the value, place and contribution of each civilisation in enriching human cultural heritage.

He said there is a need for defining targets of that dialogue so as to build a common future whose core foundations are values of freedom, socio-economic justice and tolerance.

The UAE, he added, stressed the need for introducing international legislative standards for protection of cultural identity and diversity and considering inter-faith dialogue as a prelude for cross-cultural dialogue because religion plays an inevitable role in guiding communities. “Principles of Stockholm Declaration 1998 should be taken as a sound framework for cultural content of globalisation,” he said. —

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