MDGF Culture for Development Programme supports the International Conference on Intercultural Dialogue and Internal Security

The importance of the intercultural dialogue was highlighted by the Minister Ahmetovic in his opening speech as important cornerstone for building long-term peace and stability in Europe and in particular in the region. He stated he was honoured by his duty to host the event and expressed content the MDGF Programme Culture for Development was supporting the conference.


Director General of IOM , Mr. William Lacy Swing in his key-note address noted said that ‘we live in an era of the greatest human mobility in recorded history. Besides some 214 million international migrants, there are an estimated 740 million internal migrants, many of these internally Displaced Persons'.


He also said 'I am very pleased that the UN Country Team in BiH has addressed the value of intercultural dialogue through its 3-year joint programming initiative on building cultural understanding in BiH. On behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator in BiH, I would like to thank the BiH Government on state, entity and local level for recognizing the benefits of this programme and for a very productive cooperation'.


The coming together here of representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s great religions, together with Government officials and civil society, sends a strong signal of the united stand against radicalism on the one hand, and the championing of tolerance and cultural diversity on the other.