Miguel Angel Moratinos, the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, paid tribute to King Mohammed VI in Geneva on Monday for his commitment to strengthening spaces for cultural dialogue and coexistence, and consolidating the foundations of global peace. He also highlighted the importance the Moroccan constitution grants to the strengthening and anchoring of the principles of tolerance, coexistence and protection of religious sites. The Geneva meeting provided an opportunity to discuss measures to enhance the protection of religious sites and the preservation of their sacredness. Last Friday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the Alliance of Civilizations to prepare a plan of action to fully engage the UN system in the protection of religious places. This call came following the terrorist attack on two mosques in New Zealand that left over fifty dead and dozens wounded.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 26, 2019 15:00 UTC