The 6th Baku International Humanitarian Forum has kicked off at the Heydar Aliyev Center.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, first lady Mehriban Aliyeva and vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva attended the official opening ceremony of the Forum.

 

Held under the slogan “Shaping a New World and a New Humanity: Creativity and Human Development”, the 6th Baku International Humanitarian Forum brings together 580 delegates from 86 countries and 24 international organizations.

 

The head of state addressed the opening ceremony of the Forum.

 

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government Olga Golodets read out President Vladimir Putin`s congratulatory letter to the participants of the Forum. In her remarks, she said the Forum is developing year by year, describing Baku as a center for humanitarian dialogue.

 

Other speakers at the event included Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Partnerships with the Middle East and Central Asia, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Rashid Khalikov, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, deputy director-general of UNESCO Qu Xing and President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Gabriela Cuevas Barron.

 

Initiated by the presidents of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation in 2010, the Baku International Humanitarian Forum is an annual platform for famous representatives of political, scientific and cultural elite of the world, including statesmen, Nobel Prize winners in various fields of science and leaders of influential international organizations to hold dialogues, discussions and exchange of views on a wide range of global issues.

 

The 6th Baku International Humanitarian Forum will focus on identifying and seeking to release creative ideas and energies that can both shape tomorrow’s world as well as respond to it. The drive to encourage and enable a greater correspondence between the world as a place and the world as a community of people will build new relationships, innovative and timely discussions and positive encouragement for change in traditional approaches to human development.

 

Following the opening speeches, the Forum will feature plenary and breakout sessions.