On Monday, November 17, 2025, His Excellency Kais Saied, President of the Republic of Tunisia, received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations and United Nations Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia.

During the meeting, discussions focused on a range of current cultural and civilizational issues. President Kais Saied affirmed that no hierarchy should exist between nations or civilizations, stressing that the world is undergoing rapid change that requires us to rethink certain concepts that have become obsolete or outdated.

The Head of State also stressed the need to base any alliance on common human and universal values. He pointed out that those who advocate confrontation between civilizations or express hostility towards Islam and many peoples have been proven wrong by reality and will ultimately be discredited by history.

The President of the Republic concluded by recalling that justice and freedom must prevail within states and form the foundation of any human society. He denounced the division of peoples into “civilized” and “barbaric,” which he described as a racial discrimination inherited from colonialism, the source of tragedies, wars, and the plundering of the wealth of long-oppressed peoples. He reaffirmed that a new legitimacy is emerging, bringing with it the values of freedom, justice, and true emancipation.

For his part, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik highlighted the need to find practical solutions to humanitarian crises, based on reliable data, rapid response, and capacity building for local actors. He stressed that these approaches are inspired by the Tunisian national motto, “Order, Justice, and Freedom,” which he considers to be the pillars of any inclusive civilizational project. He further added that a world that does not rely on these values will not be able to establish lasting peace or guarantee equitable development.