January 25 2024
On November 4, 2023, the Presidency of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity has approved the appointment of His Excellency Ambassador Khaled Al Ghaith as secretary-general of the Committee. Ambassador Al Ghaith has served as the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Malaysia since February 2017, and also as a non-resident Ambassador to Brunei. His notable career trajectory includes various significant roles: Assistant Minister for Economic Affairs from 2009 to 2016, Assistant Undersecretary for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Economy in 2007, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Turkey in 2003, along with being a non-resident Ambassador to Azerbaijan, among other positions.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the General Secretariat of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity is dedicated to overseeing and fulfilling the Committee’s objectives, which are centered around fostering national, regional, and international collaboration to advance the values of the Document on Human Fraternity.
The Committee is co-chaired by His Eminence Professor Mohamed Hussein Al Mahrasawy, former President of Al-Azhar University, and His Eminence Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso, Perfect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue in the Vatican. The Committee’s members, who bring diverse expertise and backgrounds, include His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, His Excellency Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, Mr. Yasser Hareb Al Muhairi, a prominent UAE writer and media figure, and Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, former Secretary to Pope Francis.
The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity is an independent international entity established in 2019 to promote the values of human fraternity across communities. This Committee has been recognized globally for its efforts in achieving the goals of the historic Document on Human Fraternity, signed by His Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, on February 4, 2019, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Document aims to advance the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence.
