In its 14th meeting last September in Havana the NAM approved a proposal by Iran to hold the aforementioned conference in 2007. In that meeting Iran asked the members to participate in the conference actively.
The conference will be held at foreign ministerial meeting at the IRIB international hall.
Iran believes that all communities and nations with different cultural, historical, and religious backgrounds are subject to universal human rights.
In such a framework supporting dialogue between cultures to achieve a universal definition of human rights is of great priority and the introduction to such an approach is to respect diversity of cultures.
The history shows that some cultures have interacted with each other over the centuries and reinforced each other.
The interaction between different cultures has helped human civilization and this cultural diversity and exchange gradually smoothed the path for scientific progress in some parts of the world which has come to be called the common human heritage.
However, globalization has facilitated the imposition of foreign values and some have found an opportunity to globalize their culture at the behest of other cultures and even depicting a false picture of other cultures.
Iran’s initiative in holding such a conference is to create an opportunity for airing views on the subject by developing countries.
The meeting will enhance the share of the NAM members in international interactions especially on subjects such as human rights and cultural diversity.
MS/BA
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MNA