The High Representative provides the vision and the leadership necessary to promote the Alliance of Civilizations as a credible, viable instrument able to contribute to reducing tensions between different societies, and the threat that these tensions could pose for international stability. The terms of reference for the High Representative include among his responsibilities:
- Promoting and supervising the implementation of recommendations. In particular, he will be in charge of reviewing and approving the Alliance’s draft working programme.
- The HR is intended to be the visible image of the Alliance of Civilizations. His appointment, moreover, contributes to strengthening the worldwide projection of the Alliance, and raises its profile as a multilateral initiative.
- Assisting the Secretary-General of the United Nations in facilitating dialogue and promoting moderation and mutual understanding in periods of crisis, in keeping with the underlying spirit of the Alliance of Civilizations.
- Working in close contact with the Group of Friends, and leading contact with other States and multilateral institutions whose support could contribute to the initiative’s success.
On 14 June, the High Representative presented to the Secretary-General of the United Nations an Action Plan including an implementation programme for the next two years. This is an open Plan, which will be revised as the need arises and, in any case, after the first Alliance Forum. Its aim is to strengthen the role of the Alliance in three ways:
- As a tool that could be used by those who want to launch cooperative projects for intercultural dialogue.
- Proposing and lending its support to those projects that, in the areas of education, youth issues, migration, and the media, focus on improving intercultural relations.
- Facilitating dialogue and serving as a political tool available to those fostering moderation and mutual understanding during periods of crisis.
The second central element in implementing these recommendations will be the Alliance Forum. The Forum is intended to be the annual flagship event of the Alliance the place where associative agreements are forged and where commitments to action are presented; where projects are announced, as well as agreements between donors and those institutions in charge of carrying out these projects. It should serve to identify good practice, exchange experiences, and highlight the obstacles to be overcome in order to improve mutual understanding.
The first meeting of the Forum was held in Madrid on 15 and 16 January 2008.
Finally, it is important to bear in mind that the Alliance will be consolidated to the extent that it is integrated into the national policies of States. Its conflict management instruments, its policy of international cooperation, and its domestic sectoral policies – whether in education, youth, migration, or the media – should be sources of inspiration. Spain, as one of the countries co-sponsoring the initiative, has the intention of drafting a National Alliance Plan, addressing its dual external and internal aspects.
