Parliamentarians from across the globe gathered in Rome alongside representatives of religions, faith-based and other civil society organisations, academic and international institutions to strengthen trust and embrace hope for a common future. Organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Parliament of Italy, with support from Religions for Peace, the Second Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue: Strengthening trust and embracing hope for our common future took place from 19 to 20 June during the Jubilee Year.
Building on the momentum of the inaugural conference held in Marrakesh in 2023, this event reaffirmed a collective commitment to justice, peace, and inclusive development through interreligious and multistakeholder cooperation.
Urgent need for renewed solidarity and collaborative action
Against a backdrop of escalating wars and conflicts, increasing economic and social inequalities, weakening multilateral institutions and cooperation, democratic erosion, and an ecological crisis, participants, including Archbishop Angaelos OBE, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, stressed the urgent need for renewed solidarity and collaborative action. Speakers highlighted that meaningful dialogue, including interfaith exchanges and collaboration, must also translate into laws and policies that uphold human dignity, promote long-term social cohesion, and protect nature.
Pope Leo: Leaders must promote religious freedom, fix wealth gap, and help guide ethical AI development
Pope Leo XIV addressed participants of the conference during an audience in the Hall of Benediction at the Vatican on June 21. He called for a fairer distribution of resources, the protection of marginalised people, and the defence of religious freedom. Pope Leo also emphasised that leaders should play a key role in guiding the development of Artificial Intelligence to ensure it respects human rights and upholds human dignity. In his speech, he said:
“In order to have a shared point of reference in political activity, and not exclude ‘a priori’ any consideration of the transcendent in decision-making processes, it would be helpful to seek an element that unites everyone. Natural law, which is universally valid apart from and above other more debatable beliefs, constitutes the compass by which to take our bearings in legislating and acting, particularly on the delicate and pressing ethical issues that, today more than in the past, regard personal life and privacy. … Our personal life has greater value than any algorithm, and social relationships require spaces for development that far transcend the limited patterns that any soulless machine can prepackage.”
The conference featured prominent speakers and highly engaged PaRD members
The Second Parliamentary Conference featured prominent parliamentarians from all continents, and speakers including Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, Dr. Tulia Ackson, IPU President, Senator Pier Ferdinando Casini on behalf of the Host Parliament and Nazila Ghanea, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
Members of the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) were actively engaged throughout the conference as moderators, panellists, and speakers in the general debate in the parliamentary assembly. Among them were Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi, Executive Director, the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, Dr. Katherine Marshall, Senior Fellow, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, Dr. Fadi Daou, Executive Director of Globethics and Elias Szczytnicki, Secretary General & Regional Director, Religions for Peace Latin America and the Caribbean. Furthermore, Andreia Henriques, External Relations and Partnerships Adviser, The International Dialogue Centre KAICIID, Dr. Dr. Dietrich Werner, President Globethics, Dr. Esben Lunde Larsen, Senior Advisor One Health, World Bank, Filip Buff Pedersen, Political Senior Advisor, Center for Church-Based Development and Gaetan Roy, WEA Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva participated in the conference.
Khushwant Singh, Head of the PaRD Secretariat, presented PaRD at the general debate. He emphasised the vital role of parliamentarians as bridge-builders connecting diverse societal actors and fosterers of inclusive policies. Singh invited parliamentarians to become observers of PaRD and join the Annual Forum 2025 to experience PaRD’s work firsthand. He also spoke at a panel on “Fostering Solidarity and Action for People in Vulnerable Situations,” drawing on numerous examples of impactful engagement by PaRD members such as HIAS, Malteser International and United Sikhs. Singh had a dialogue with His Eminence Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and handed over a letter for Pope Leo on behalf of PaRD and fostering inclusive policy development.
Unified call to action: the Rome Communiqué
The conference concluded with a unified call to action, the Rome Communiqué, underscoring that interfaith dialogue — grounded in human rights, inclusivity, and the rule of law — is essential to combat dehumanisation, polarisation, and hate-driven rhetoric, both online and offline. Participants condemned the misuse of religion for political gain and stressed the urgent need for ethical leadership rooted in compassion, justice, and accountability.
Parliamentarians and faith leaders were urged to collaborate in addressing systemic discrimination, strengthening protections for freedom of religion or belief, and safeguarding civic space. Special attention was given to the rights of women and girls, youth inclusion, and the critical role of education for peace in building resilient and just societies.
Echoing the Rome Communiqué, the conference inspires hope and determination, calling on all participants to carry this momentum into their parliaments, communities, and spheres of influence — a vision that PaRD actively supports via its global network dedicated to fostering sustainable development through faith-based cooperation.
Impressions from the Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue and the Vatican I Credits: PaRD, Khushwant Singh
