About UNAOC

Who we are: The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations was launched in 2005 as the political initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan with the co-sponsorship of the Governments of Spain and Turkey. On 6 July 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus Resolution 69/312 “United Nations Alliance of Civilizations”. The milestone resolution provided UNAOC with the institutional status and the political guidance necessary to pursue its work in promoting intercultural dialogue, greater understanding and respect among civilizations, cultures, religions and beliefs.

What we do: The primary mission of UNAOC is to forge collective political will and to mobilize concerted action at improving cross-cultural dialogue and cooperation among countries and diverse communities to prevent violence and conflict, and promote social cohesion and peace. UNAOC focuses its activities on four priority areas: Education, Youth, Media, Migration.

The UNAOC’s Group of Friends (GoF) includes 119 UN Member States, 1 non-member state, and 26 international organizations representing all continents, societies and cultures. The GoF is a community of countries and international organizations which actively promotes the Alliance’s objectives and work at the global, regional and local levels, as well as worldwide