The Alliance of Civilizations (AoC) was launched in 2005 together by the then Prime Minister H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, and by H.E. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, former Prime Minister of Spain. The AoC subsequently became a UN initiative upon its endorsement by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Addressing the mutual suspicion, fear and polarization that was witnessed between Muslim countries and Western societies at the time and enhancing mutual respect between cultures were the main objectives behind the formation of this Initiative.

The Alliance is based on the understanding that all societies are interdependent on matters of development, security, environment and welfare. Therefore, the Alliance aims to establish a common political will bearing in mind that only a comprehensive coalition can overcome prejudice, misperception and polarization which threaten international peace and stability.

The UN General Assembly, through its resolutions 64/14 and 69/312, recognized the mandate of the Alliance, which includes addressing religious intolerance, xenophobia and discrimination based on religion, belief or ethnicity.

The activities of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations focus on its five pillars: education, youth, migration, media and women as peacemakers and are alligned with the priorities set out in its Action Plans.

Since its inception, the Alliance’s visibility has steadily increased and it has become a prominent project within the context of dialogue among cultures today.

The Group of Friends of the Alliance of Civilization established under the umbrella of the UN consists of 161 members, including Member States and international organizations.

UNAOC Secretariat operates in New York in order to ensure coordination and carry out the administrative work of the Alliance. The Secretariat promotes the Alliance in international platforms and carries out concrete projects in the fields of education, youth, migration, media and women as peacemakers.

Jorge Sampaio, former President of Portugal, was designated by the UN Secretary-General as the first High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations on 26 April 2007. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar assumed this post from 2013 until 2019. As of 7 January 2019, Spain’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos assumed this post.

A recent important development regarding the UNAOC is the appointment of the High Representative of the UNAOC to also serve as the UN Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia. This decision was taken in accordance with the relevant provision of the resolution titled “Measures to Combat Islamophobia” adopted by the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2024. The appointment of High Representative Moratinos as the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia was officially announced on 7 May 2025.

The Global Forums constitute the highest-profile event of the UN Alliance of Civilizations. So far, Forums are held in Madrid (2008), İstanbul (2009), Rio (2010), Doha (2011), Vienna (2013), Bali (2014), Baku (2016), New York (2018), Fez (2022) and Cascais (2024), bringing together members of the UNAOC Group of Friends, political leaders, representatives of international and regional organizations, religious leaders, the private sector, civil society, academia and youth.