Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, travelled to New York on 7 December to meet with Dr. António Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations, along with some members of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity.

During the meeting, Cardinal Ayuso Guixot recalled the special mission of the Higher Committee, which aims to foster the good of all humanity, especially the young.

Dr. António Guterres expressed appreciation and willingness on the part of the United Nations, and his own, to support the initiatives of the Higher Committee in promoting the contents of the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together”, signed in Abu Dhabi on 4 February 2019 by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb.

The members of the Higher Committee thanked the secretary general for the decision of the United Nations General Assembly to proclaim 4 February as “International Day of Human Fraternity”. On the afternoon of 7 December, a meeting was also held with Dr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, to confirm the possibility of cooperation in various initiatives.

The atmosphere of lively cordiality was the ideal setting to present the UN secretary general and Ms. Latifa ibn Ziaten with the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, which they received on 4 February 2021, for their commitment to promoting a culture of peace, coexistence and solidarity.