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Four weeks after his appointment as the United Nations Special Envoy for Combating Islamophobia, announced on May 7, Miguel Ángel Moratinos has unveiled his action plan.
In an interview with the UN News website, the Spanish diplomat stressed that hatred toward Islam and Muslims «is not limited to Europe or the United States, but is a global phenomenon».
«The Muslim community is one of the largest in the world. Out of nearly eight billion people, 2.5 billion are Muslims», said Moratinos, who served as Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2010.
«We already have a UN plan to combat antisemitism, and we will also have one to address Islamophobia. We’re setting priorities, first and foremost, tackling the rise of anti-Islam and anti-Muslim hatred that’s spreading around the world. We must work with major international organizations and countries that have both the resources and the will to counter this growing hostility».
Moratinos acknowledged that «Islam is often misunderstood in the West», making education a central part of his approach. «We need programs to explain what Islam and the Quran are. Many people talk about it without ever having read the Quran».
Alongside educational initiatives, Moratinos called for strong condemnation of «any act, hostility, violation, or attack against Muslims or Islamic institutions. We must foster greater respect. That requires integrating specific legal provisions into the judicial systems of Western countries».
On March 15, 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, proposed by Pakistan, with 115 votes in favor, 44 abstentions, and none against, calling on the Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy to combat Islamophobia.
In addition to his new role, Moratinos will continue to serve as High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, a post he has held since 2019. The UN noted that «this dual mandate aims to maximize existing capacity and resources by integrating the new responsibilities into an established position».
The UN had previously declared March 15 the International Day to Combat Islamophobia in 2022.
