‘Dialogue, Diplomacy Are Not Naïve — They Are Necessary’, Says Secretary-General at Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres' remarks at the opening session of the eleventh Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum, in Riyadh today:

I thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting this Forum, and for your warm welcome. It is profoundly fitting that we gather in this land of monumental religious significance to advance the cause of global interfaith dialogue. We do so marking the twentieth anniversary of the Alliance of Civilizations - born under the leadership of my dear friend and predecessor, the late Kofi Annan. I salute the co-sponsors - the Governments of Spain and Türkiye - and the steadfast commitment of the Group of Friends. I thank High Representative Miguel Moratinos - and the efforts of his predecessors: the late Jorge Sampaio and Nassir Abdel Aziz al-Nasser.

Some may try to dismiss the goals of the Alliance of Civilizations as utopian. To claim that dialogue and cooperation are out of fashion - too soft for our hard world. They are wrong. The mission of the Alliance of Civilizations is bold. It is essential. And it is more urgent than ever.

You are here precisely because you don't see the world through rose-coloured glasses. You see it as it is - with all its contradictions. An era of breathtaking progress - yet shackled by ancient instincts. A time of relentless innovation - yet poisoned by age-old divisions and new tools of disinformation, spreading Holocaust denial, fuelling the hate that led to the massacre of Rohingyas and pitting communities against each other to destroy the social cohesion of societies.

An age where we hear talk of peace - yet wars multiply; pledges for prosperity - yet inequalities deepen; promises of progress - yet human suffering is tolerated on a staggering scale. This is the paradox of our time: we are more connected than ever - yet more fractured than ever. And in this fractured world, two paths lie before us.

One plunges deeper into division - a world of more walls and less trust, more weapons and less humanity. The other path - the harder path - the path you have the courage to walk - leads toward dialogue. Towards building bridges across faiths, cultures and civilizations and taking us all to a better place. Where diversity is recognized as a source of richness, not a threat; where differences are not erased, but embraced; where disputes are settled not by force, but by understanding and respect for international law.

The wall-building path is easy. It feeds on fear. It appeals to anger. The bridge-building path is hard. It demands courage. It requires resolve. Thank you for taking that harder path.

There is no mission more vital today. It is pivotal for forging sustainable peace. No more seventh of Octobers. No more Gazas destroyed. No more El-Fashers starved. No more communities massacred, expelled or scapegoated. It's time to end the vicious cycle of death and destruction. And that's why the world must follow your example and reclaim the values that unite us. We can do so by harnessing three powerful forces for positive change.

First, young people. Forty per cent of humanity is between the ages of 10 and 24 - the largest, most connected generation in history. Both online and off, they are discovering shared dreams and shared challenges. They are leading on climate action, driving digital innovation, building local solutions and championing human rights. Yet, they are routinely shut out of decisions that shape their lives.

I commend the Alliance for opening doors to youth voices. I welcome the young faces I see here today - including alumni from initiatives such as the Youth Solidarity Fund, the Intercultural Innovation Hub, Young Peacebuilders and Plural Plus. And I urge Member States to place greater trust in the youngest generations, protect their rights and make deeper investments in their future.

Second, we must do more to draw on the enormous power and potential of the world's women and girls. Last year, 676 million women and girls lived within 50 kilometres of deadly conflict events - the highest number in decades. Violence kept 44 million girls from attending school, left 60 million women and girls displaced and drove a surge of sexual assaults.

Women and girls pay the heaviest price in war. But, they are forgotten or excluded from peace tables. We know women's leadership is central to just and lasting peace - a truth enshrined 25 years ago in Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).

That's why I launched the Common Pledge for Women's Full, Equal and Meaningful Participation in Peace Processes. I commend the 42 entities that have adopted it - including Saudi Arabia - and encourage others to follow their lead. We must ensure women peacebuilders have the space to lead and participate across public life - from law and politics to journalism, business, science and beyond. Not as bystanders, but as architects of a better future.

And third, we must draw on the power of people of faith. All too often, religion is twisted as a weapon of division. We must recognize and reclaim its power as a force for compassion, human dignity and reconciliation - values shared by all the great faith traditions.

This Forum sets an example, by fostering constructive dialogue among religious leaders from diverse traditions. Exchanges like this remind us how faith can be a powerful force for harmony in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

We must all work together to reaffirm our shared commitment to creating a world of mutual understanding and respect. Twenty years ago, we launched an initiative to help show that humanity - in all its diversity - could talk, listen and build together. Today, that vision is more urgent, than ever. Bringing it to life requires the timeless tools of dialogue and diplomacy.

This work is often quiet, painstaking and imperfect - but it is how ceasefires are brokered, how access to humanitarian relief is secured and how the seeds of reconciliation are planted. Dialogue and diplomacy are not naïve. They are necessary. Now more than ever, let's carry forward the spirit of the Alliance of Civilizations - with courage, clarity and hope.