Astana, September 17–18, 2025 – The 8th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was held at the Palace of Independence under the chairmanship of the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The main theme of the forum was “Dialogue of religions: synergy for the future.”

The Congress brought together more than 100 representatives from 60 countries, including spiritual leaders of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and Shintoism, as well as representatives of international organizations, the academic community, and public and political figures. Within the framework of the Congress, on September 16 of the current year, a Special Session on the protection of religious sites was held for the first time under the auspices of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), chaired by the UN High Representative for UNAOC, Miguel Angel Moratinos.

At the Special Session, the President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Argentine Republic and OAS Commissioner for Religious Freedom, Marwan Gill, delivered a speech. In his remarks, Mr. Gill emphasized the importance of the Islamic religion and of mechanisms ensuring religious freedom, which are responsible for protecting all places of worship. Participants discussed the growing threats to religious buildings, acts of vandalism, and religious intolerance, stressing the need for a coordinated international response. Special attention was given to the implementation of the UN Plan of Action for the Protection of Religious Sites. The session reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s role as an active participant in global interfaith dialogue and consolidated the importance of the Congress as an international platform for spiritual diplomacy.

Furthermore, during the 8th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, at the thematic session on religion as a factor for sustainable development, a presentation was made by Oswaldo Conde, member of the Theosophical Society of the Federative Republic of Brazil. He spoke about the role of religion as an element for the sustainable development of peace. Among the topics debated at the event were the prevention of conflicts in tension zones — from the Middle East to Eastern Europe —, spiritual values in the era of digital reality and artificial intelligence, as well as the fight against youth radicalization.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-brazil/press/news/details/1070868?lang=kk