World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations"

The Director-General of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura,has made a decision to grant the patronage of that prestigious international organization to the Vienna Forum of the WPF “Dialogue of Civilizations” taking place on November 10, 2008 with the participation of the Federal Chancellor of Austria, Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer. This was announced in a personal letter to the WPF President Vladimir Yakunin dated November 7 of this year. In his letter, Mr. Matsuura also points out that he has authorized the use of UNESCO’s logo on all the documents of the Vienna Forum.
The UNESCO Director-General expresses his confidence that the Vienna meeting of high-level experts “marks an important phase in the work of the World Public Forum” and this has prompted him to grant UNESCO’s patronage.Mr. Koichiro Matsuura also expressed his “deep satisfaction with the results of the Sixth annual session of the WPF “Dialogue of Civilizations” that was held on the Island of Rhodes earlier in October and which was unanimously considered successful.” Besides that, Mr. Matsuura, according to him, “was pleased to learn that the contribution made to the Rhodes Forum by his representative, Mrs. Katerina Stenou, was appreciated.”
Mrs. Stenou who is the Director of the Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue of UNESCO is to participate in the Vienna meeting, and will once again, as on the Island of Rhodes, be representing the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr. Koichiro Matsuura writes.