In Astana, the concept for the development of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions for the years 2023-2033 was presented.
Source: senate.parlam.kz
The document envisions a deeper collaboration between the Congress and UN institutions, as well as other authoritative international organizations. A key innovation is its commitment to promoting the cessation of wars and conflicts. These and other new functions were presented by the Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Maulen Ashimbayev, during the 21st Secretariat Meeting of the Congress, as reported by Sarbaz.kz.
Since 2003, the capital of Kazakhstan has been hosting the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. Seven meetings have taken place in 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2022. This forum emerged twenty years ago in response to terrorist attacks in the USA, as an explanation that extremism and terrorism have nothing in common with the true essence of religion.
This time, high-level representatives of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and other traditional religions discussed their goals for the next 10 years within the framework of the forum. Previously, Sarbaz.kz reported on Kazakhstan's concerns about the escalation of conflicts in "hot spots."
In his address to the participants of the 21st Secretariat Meeting of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasised that the Congress platform echoes ideas and proposals aimed at preserving peace, strengthening dialogue, and promoting a culture of mutual respect and cooperation.
"In the current context of intensifying geopolitical tensions and the growing fundamental challenges, the importance of values such as morality, kindness, and humanism is on the rise. Alongside this, it is important to establish a new system of international security. To achieve this, the unity of global forces advocating for peace and stability is essential. Spiritual leaders can play a significant role in this endeavor," stated President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his address.
Kazakhstan has a positive track record in such matters. In 2017, Astana served as a platform for negotiations in the Syrian conflict. Over the course of 20 meetings, known as the Astana Process on Syria, representatives of Russia, Iran, Turkey, and other interested countries reached a series of agreements.