The UN Secretary General, António Guterreshe appointed Spanish diplomat Miguel Ángel Moratinos on Wednesday as sent United Nations Special To fight the Islamophobia.
Moratinos will combine this position with that of the high representative of the UN Alliance (UNAOC), a position that has been held since 2019 with the mission of tending bridges among different cultures, especially among the great monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam).
The UN made public a statement in which it indicates that the double function of Moratinos will mean that the UNAOC integrates its functions the specific ones of its new position and will thus optimize its resources as an organism of the United Nations.
Speaking to EFE, Moratinos explained that he will immediately prepare an action plan that will present in his ‘Largo’ on June 20 in Istanbul, at a Ministerial Conference of Foreign Ministers from member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OCI), the largest world organization of representation of Muslims.
He said that this action plan includes a Work program in sectors as diverse as communicationeducation or social networks, at a time when it is observed in the world, “and especially in Europe and the West”, a rebound in both anti -Semitic and Islamophobic attitudes.
The main philosophy of this new position – Moratinos explained – is “to combat any act or attitude of attack on the Muslim world, to Muslims and their places of worship, and that the peaceful practice of their faith is respected”, in addition to “preventing Islam from being presented as a threat or danger.”
The Spanish diplomat explained that the designation today of a special envoy is the culmination of a process that began two years ago with the creation of an international day against Islamophobia by the UN General Assembly, and the request of Muslim ambassadors to this same body to formalize that high -ranking envoy figure.
Secretary General António Guterres has always been very clear in his criticism against Islamophobia, as well as against anti -Semitism, but until now he had not appointed a specific high position on these phenomena.
Moratinos, 73, was Foreign Minister in Spain between 2004 and 2010 in the governments of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero; Previously, it had been specially sent from the European Union for the peace process in the Middle East (1996-2003), a period in which he tried to reactivate the dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.
Moratinos highlighted the importance of his appointment for Spain: “It is a recognition that the main interlocutors, Muslim countries, deposit this struggle in a European and a Spanish because they trust him and believe in his ability to intervene,” he concluded.
