We received the news of today’s parliamentary vote with concern. KAICIID stands by its record in fostering dialogue all over the world. It should be judged on this record.

KAICIID is an intergovernmental body that draws its mandate and mission from the international treaty signed by the Member States, comprising the governments of Austria, Spain and Saudi Arabia with the Holy See as a Founding Observer.  Its activities cannot therefore be identified with any particular State.

It’s internationalist and interreligious credentials manifest themselves at every level of its governance - in the makeup and deliberations of its Member States, its Secretariat, its Board of Directors and Advisory Forum.  Together these stakeholders administer a global programme of dialogue and cultural exchange that reflects religious and sectarian diversity, most notably in parts of the world plagued by instability such as Nigeria, Myanmar, CAR and the Middle East.

KAICIID’s intergovernmental status precludes it from becoming an agent for any state, or from commenting on the internal affairs of any state, although part of its role involves creating space for interreligious dialogue and sensibilities in policy making and opinion forming arenas.

KAICIID asks that it be judged on its record – on the thousands of people it has trained globally in interreligious and intercultural dialogue; on the thousands of hours of work towards reconciliation and understanding it has implemented or facilitated in regions torn asunder by instability; on the open source materials it has provided to support these efforts and finally on the use of its unaffiliated convening and mediatory status to help governments, intergovernmental agencies, civil society groups and NGOs to consider interreligious dialogue as a means to achieving social stability and prosperity.