UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces on Monday called for strong collective action to tackle complex global juncture.
"We need a strong collective action and global agreements" to deal with the complex global juncture marked by multiple crises ranging from poverty and inequality to the devasting effects of climate change or forced migration or the deepening of several conflicts in the world, terrorism, intolerance and hate, said Espinosa at the 8th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) on partnerships for prevention and sustaining peace.
"To build those agreements, dialogue is the most powerful means," she said.
The president also stressed the importance of "the mobilization of political willingness and political action."
"As representative of the most representative and democratic multilateral forum, the General Assembly of the United Nations, I reiterate my commitment to facilitate dialogue and global action to prevent violence and conflicts and reach collective agreements for the benefit of humanity and the planet," she noted.
Espinosa also urged attention be given to youth, noting that "young people are architects and agents of change."
"Including young people in development policies and in peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities is fundamental to prevent conflicts or to achieve sustainable and lasting solutions," she said.
The forum kicked off on Monday and will conclude on Tuesday.
Nihal Saad, spokesperson for UNAOC high representative, told reporters Thursday that "UNAOC will bring together more than 1,000 participants to share knowledge and explore innovative ways of promoting inclusive approaches to conflict prevention as a pathway for sustaining peace."
The forum, with the theme "#Commit2Dialogue: Partnerships for Prevention and Sustaining Peace," will also "serve as a catalyst for building meaningful partnerships that will help achieve that goal," said Saad.
UNAOC was launched in 2005 as the political initiative of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan with the co-sponsorship of the governments of Spain and Turkey.
