Erdoğan's call came in Geneva, where he delivered a speech at an inauguration ceremony for the new Human Rights Council and Alliance of Civilizations Room at the UN offices in Geneva. The Alliance of Civilizations initiative was launched in 2005 by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan following a proposal by Erdoğan and Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Growing interest in the initiative shows the inevitability of dialogue and cooperation between civilizations, Erdoğan said.
"If the will we displayed as leaders and the precautions we have taken can turn into instrumental actions and if opportunities can be better used, the Alliance of Civilizations is a candidate for becoming the 21st century's peace project," he said. "The goal of this initiative is to prevent cultural polarization, intolerance and all kinds of discrimination that we have been observing in the international community."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN High Representative of the Alliance of Civilizations Jorge Sampaio, King Juan Carlos II of Spain, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and Zapatero also participated in the ceremony.

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