Promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace A/RES/71/249 Welcoming also the declaration of the High-level Conference on Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue adopted by the Asia-Europe Meeting, with the theme “Harmony between civilizations as a prerequisite for sustainable development”, held in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, on 3 and 4 July 2014, Welcoming further the work of the Anna Lindh Foundation and the ongoing work of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna, Taking note of the declaration of the Forum on the Role of Religious Leaders in Preventing Incitement that could Lead to Atrocity Crimes, held in Fez, Morocco, on 23 and 24 April 2015, and the Istanbul Process for Combating Intolerance, Discrimination and Incitement to Hatred and/or Violen ce on the basis of Religion or Belief, Noting the international symposium launching the African initiative on education for peace and development through interreligious and intercultural dialogue, held in Cotonou, Benin, in May 2015, Welcoming the second World Nomad Games, held in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, from 3 to 10 September 2016, and recognizing the importance that it places on intercultural dialogue and its valuable contribution to promoting social cohesion, peace and development, Acknowledging the positive contribution of individuals and of relevant civil society organizations to the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and the culture of peace, Underlining the importance of education, including education on culture, peace, tolerance, mutual understanding and human rights, in promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue, respect for diversity and the elimination of discrimination based on religion or belief, Recognizing the contributions of the media and of new information and communications technology to promoting peoples’ understanding of different cultures and religions, including through the promotion of dialogue, Reaffirming the importance of sustaining the process of engaging all stakeholders, including young men and women as relevant actors, in interreligious and intercultural dialogue within the appropriate initiatives at various levels, which aims to challenge prejudices, improve mutual understanding and foster cooperation, Recognizing the commitment of all religions to peace and the contribution that interreligious and intercultural dialogue among religious groups and individuals, in particular religious leaders, can make towards an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all mankind, Noting the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization conference on the theme “Youth and the Internet: fighting radicalization and extremism”, held in Paris in June 2015, Noting also the Appeal for Peace, signed by religious leaders during the World Day of Prayer for Peace, held in Assisi, Italy, on 20 September 2016, 1. Reaffirms that mutual understanding and interreligious and intercultural dialogue constitute important dimensions of the dialogue among civilizations and of the culture of peace; 3/6