The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, His Excellency Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, affirmed that the Document on Human Fraternity, presented to the world by His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church, from Abu Dhabi in 2019, is a continuously evolving message that has catalyzed various global initiatives. It has sparked a variety of global initiatives and inspired further collaborative efforts to uphold the values it embodies and the inclusive human ideals it encompasses, in response to narratives of intolerance, hatred, discrimination, and Islamophobia. This ongoing endeavor will be pursued collectively, in partnership with global institutions.

The Secretary-General's remarks were delivered on his behalf by Imam Yahya Pallavicini, President and Imam of the Islamic Religious Community of Italy, at a roundtable titled "Religious Fraternity and Social Cohesion for Peace." The event also marked the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Religious Community of Italy and coincided with February, the month in which the world observes the International Day of Human Fraternity. The choice of Milan, a city renowned for its cultural, literary, and artistic heritage, as the venue for this discussion underscores the centrality of human fraternity and peaceful coexistence.

The Secretary-General further noted Italy's role as a global spiritual hub and a model for interfaith coexistence among the three Abrahamic religions. He emphasized that this gathering addressed the challenges of fraternity and peaceful coexistence among people of diverse religions, cultures, and ethnicities, aiming to unite them against the global challenges facing our shared humanity.

In his concluding remarks, His Excellency Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam commended the positive contributions of Muslims in Italy, particularly in Milan, which he described as a unique city that embraces diversity and coexistence. He praised Milan as a beacon of religious openness, making it an ideal location for this roundtable dedicated to countering intolerance, xenophobia, and Islamophobia.

The roundtable, titled "Religious Fraternity and Social Cohesion for Peace," was hosted by the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Milan and attended by a variety of religious leaders, thinkers, and politicians.