REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- Five warships of the Indonesian Navy have been sent to secure the 6th United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) meeting in Bali on August 27-30, 2014, Lieutenant Colonel Marine Abdul Kadir reported here on Tuesday.
"The five ships are already in Bali waters. They will remain until the end of the meeting," said Lt. Col. Abdul, spokesman for the Navy in East Indonesia.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to officially open the Sixth Global Forum of UNAOC at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, Bali, on August 29.
The objective of the Global Forum is to bridge inter-civilization communication across the world, Teuku Faizasyah, a presidential special staff in charge of international relations, said in a statement.
"UNAOC is aimed at promoting 'Harmony among Civilizations' and bridging the gap between Islam and the West. Furthermore, UNAOC endorses the common political will and aims to mobilize common actions against prejudice and misperception, and to eliminate extremism in societies," he emphasized.
The UNAOC was initiated by the former UN secretary general Kofi Annan on July 14, 2005, and was co-sponsored by the former prime minister of Spain Jose Luis Rodreguez Zapatero and Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The forum will be attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, UN High Representative of the UNAOC Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, and prominent speakers from government and non-government organizations.
The meeting will be preceded by the UNAOC Youth Forum, bringing together around 200 young delegates from across the world, on August 28.
On the sidelines of the Global Forum, President Yudhoyono is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Ban Ki-moon, OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani, and UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, according to Faizasyah.
The Global Forum themed "Unity in Diversity" has focus on four pillars: Education, Youth, Media, and Migration. The theme is based on Indonesia's national motto "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" or "Unity in Diversity." The motto reflects the outlook of Indonesia's founding fathers and embraces the wealth of Indonesia's cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity.
The Sixth UNAOC Global Forum will be attended by 114 members of UNAOC's Group of Friends and 20 ministerial-level officials.
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