UN Recognizes World's First Chair for Alliance of Civilizations at EuroMed University of Fes
Israa Farhan
As part of the recent meeting of the High-level Advisory Council of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), held in Marrakech, the President of the EuroMed University of Fes, Prof. Mostapha Bousmina, and the President of the Alliance of Civilizations Chair, Prof. Abdelhak Azzouzi—who is also a founding member and a Board Member of the Euromed University of Fes—presented the Chair's activities to UNAOC officials.
These were unanimously praised by members of this United Nations body.
In light of the Chair's significant accomplishments, UNAOC decided to formally label the Chair established at the EuroMed University of Fes as: "The United Nations Chair for the Alliance of Civilizations." This is a one-of-a-kind Chair globally, grounded in the values of both the UNAOC and the Euromed University of Fes.
Among the distinguished personalities present at the meeting were:
His Excellency Mr. Miguel Angel Moratinos, USG, UNAOC High Representative; His Excellency Mr. Amre Moussa, (Chair of the High-Level Advisory Council) Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; Her Excellency Ms. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Former President of the Republic of Croatia; Her Excellency Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa, President of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ecuador; Her Excellency Ms. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Former European Commissioner for External Relations; His Excellency Mr. Egemen Bağış, Former Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye in the Czech Republic, Former Minister for European Union Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye; Ms. Nihal Saad, UNAOC Director; Mr. Ammar Abdelwahed Al Khudairy, Founding Chairman, Amwal Capital Partners; Dr. Elkhalil M. Binebine, Moroccan Businessman; Ms. Mehrangez Rafieva, Head of Administration, UNAOC, among many other notable figures.
This historic decision is of great significance and symbolism. It affirms this unique Chair as a key academic institution for education and research in the field of the Alliance of Civilizations—an area inherently tied to Morocco's history and the values it embodies.
To enhance its operational effectiveness and ensure the visibility its mission requires, the United Nations Chair for the Alliance of Civilizations has launched an accredited Master's program titled 'Conflict Resolution and Alliance of Civilizations', as well as an accredited Doctoral Training Program, both officially aproved by Morocco's Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation.
In the same spirit, the Chair has become a hub of academic production, as evidenced by numerous newly published books and scholarly journals. It also serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas, dialogue, and debate—where young students from over fifty nationalities engage in forward-thinking discussions on the future of societies and peaceful coexistence.
Among the Chair's initiatives were the Euro-Mediterranean and African Youth SUMMIT, held on February 14, 2024, at the Moroccan Parliament, on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the Parliaments of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). During this event, youth from thirty countries debated key challenges facing the Euro-Mediterranean and African regions and jointly drafted and presented a 'Call for the Future' to the presidents of the member parliaments of the UfM.
The Chair also organized a major event on December 6–7, 2024, under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, featuring conferences, discussions, and exchanges on the topic of the Alliance of Civilizations, with participation from numerous international personalities and approximately 1,600 students.
In many respects, the organization of these events by the Chair reflects its full alignment with Morocco's widely recognized vision for peace, and with UNAOC's ongoing strategic actions to promote values of mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence.
It is worth recalling that the 'Alliance of Civilizations Chair' was first announced during the 9th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, held in Fez on November 22–23, 2022, during a joint press conference by H.E. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, and H.E. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative of the United Nations for the UNAOC.
This initiative is rooted in the Royal Message addressed to forum participants, in which His Majesty stated: 'That the Alliance of Civilizations should meet in Fez is perfectly natural. Did Morocco not have the privilege and honor of being one of the founding members of the Alliance? Is Fez not the spiritual capital of a Kingdom steeped in history? Is the Al-Quarawiyin University in Fez not the oldest university in the world - the place where Muslim and Jewish scholars, and even a pontiff, completed their instruction? Today, is its Euro-Mediterranean University not shaping a space for academic and intercultural dialogue between the two shores of the Mediterranean? Clearly, Fez is the very incarnation of a fruitful alliance of civilizations.'
This Royal message strongly underscores that intercultural dialogue and the Alliance of Civilizations should not be treated as a rhetorical exercise, but rather as a new paradigm to be developed through academic research and education.
UNAOC leadership, under the guidance of H.E. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, welcomed the continued efforts of the United Nations Chair for the Alliance of Civilizations and pledged full UN support to ensure the success of its mission.
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