MCE Participates in G20 Interfaith Forum in Brazil

The Muslim Council of Elders participated in the G20 Interfaith Forum, held under the theme "Leaving No One Behind: For the Well-being of Planet Earth and Its Inhabitants," in Brasília, Brazil. The forum brought together a number of religious leaders, institutions, policymakers, thinkers, environmental experts, academics, civil society representatives, and indigenous peoples.

In the forum’s main session, titled "Towards a Future Full of Hope and Opportunities," Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, the Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, emphasized, through a speech delivered on his behalf by Mohamed Bahr, Director of Strategic Planning at the Council, the urgent need to focus on education and moral responsibility as the most effective means to address environmental challenges and their repercussions, thereby contributing to the preservation of Earth as humanity’s shared home. He added that religious communities play a crucial moral role that can be harnessed to achieve more ambitious climate goals.

The Secretary-General outlined the Muslim Council of Elders' pioneering initiatives in tackling climate change, including organizing the first-ever Faith Pavilion at COP28, which emphasized inclusivity in climate action; the "Call of Conscience: Abu Dhabi Joint Statement for Climate," co-signed by 30 leaders of various religions and denominations worldwide; and the "Al-Mizan: A Covenant for the Earth" document, inspired by Islamic principles of sustainability, created in collaboration with several international organizations and institutions. The Council also spearheaded the Ethical Education Fellowship Program in partnership with Arigatou International, the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, UNESCO, and the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID).

The G20 Interfaith Forum was convened as part of the preparations for the upcoming G20 Summit in Brasília, aiming to develop a set of recommendations on various global issues to be included in the agenda of the G20 Leaders' Summit.