The XV Session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions presided over by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was held on June 1, 2016.
The Session was attended by:
REPRESENTATIVES OF ISLAM
Mohyeldin Afefe Ahmed Abdelmaged – Secretary General at Islamic Research Academy of Al-Azhar;
Monqith Mahmood al-Sakkar – Advisor of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Muslim World League;
Abdullah Fahad al-Lheedan – Adviser to the Minister of Islamic Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;
Gahraman Soleimani – Deputy Head of the Organization for Culture and Islamic Relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran;
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq – Director General of the Islamic Research Institute of the International Islamic University in Islamabad.
REPRESENTATIVES OF CHRISTIANITY
Khaled Akasheh – Bureau Chief for Islam, Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See;
Grigorios Ioannidis – Vicar General of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of France;
Marcos Hovhannisyan – Bishop of the Diocese of Ukraine of the Armenian Apostolic Church;
Richard Atkinson – Bishop of Bedford, representative of the Anglican Church;
Novgorodov Yuri – Head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kazakhstan, representative of the Lutheran World Federation;
Safonov Dimitriy – Secretary of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate on Inter-religious relations, Executive Secretary of the Interreligious Council of Russia.
REPRESENTATIVE OF JUDAISM
Rabbi Shaсhar Raсhmani – Representative of the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel.
REPRESENTATIVES OF BUDDHISM
Phallop Thaiarry – Secretary General of the World Fellowship of Buddhists;
Jue Xing – Vice-Chairman of China's Buddhist Association, Vice President of the Institute of Chinese Buddhists;
Hamba Lama Khunkhur Byambajav – Head of the Mongolian Gandan Tegchenlin Monastery;
Yang Ki Hoon – Permanent representative of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism in Central Asia.
REPRESENTATIVE OF TAOISM
Ji Hongzhong – Deputy Chairman of the Taoist Association of China.
REPRESENTATIVE OF HINDUISM
Kala Dhananjay Acharya – Director of the «K.J. Somaiya Bharatiya Sanskriti Peetham».
REPRESENTATIVE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
Matthew Hodes – Director of the UN Alliance of Civilizations.
REPRESENTATIVES OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS OF KAZAKHSTAN
Yerzhan Mayamerov – Supreme Mufti, Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan;
His Eminence Alexander – Head of the Russian Orthodox Church of Metropolitan district in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan;
Tomasz Peta – Archbishop, Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Holy Mary in Astana, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Kazakhstan;
Boris Manoilenko – representative of the Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan.
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
Marat Azilkhanov – Vice Minister of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Special Representative for the Congress.
At the XV Session of the Secretariat of the Congress the following agenda was approved:
- Exchange of views on the outcome of the V Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and the XIV Session of the Secretariat of the Congress.
- Exchange of views on the following issues.
– Astana International Award for Interfaith Dialogue;
– Medal of Honor of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions;
– Museum of Peace and Accord.
- Discussions on the theme and agenda of the VI Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional religions.
- Determining the date and place of the XVI Session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
- Adoption of the Minutes of the XV Session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
The following decisions were taken based on the suggestions of the participants of the XV Session of the Secretariat of the Congress:
I. Tо take note of proposals made by the participants of the Session on the outcome of the V Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions:
II. To approve the concepts on:
- Astana International Award for Interfaith Dialogue;
- Medal of Honor of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions;
- Museum of Peace and Accord.
III. The main theme of the VI Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is as follows: “Religious Leadersfora Safe World”. The panel sessions are as follows:
- “Manifesto “The World. The 21st Century” as a concept of global security”
- “Religions in a changing geopolitical landscape: new opportunities to unite humanity”
- “Religion and globalization: challenges and responses”
- “Religious and political leaders overcoming extremism and terrorism”
IV. To hold the XVI Session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on August 9, 2017 in Astana (Kazakhstan).
V. To inform the religious leaders about the decisions taken.
