CAIRO: The head of Egypt’s top religious authority will on Wednesday highlight the importance of fraternity, tolerance, and mutual respect in achieving world peace during an address at the UN Security Council.

Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayyeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar, will speak during a panel discussion on ways to promote and sustain global peace.

In his speech, Al-Tayyeb, chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, will focus on the significance of promoting the values and their role in spreading the peace message.

In a statement, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Sunni Islam’s oldest and foremost seat of learning, described the meeting as a “historic and unique opportunity” to highlight the prominent role played by religious leaders in consolidating the values of human friendship and mutual support.

It will be the first time the UN Security Council has hosted such a session involving elite decision-makers, political leaders, and top religious figures, including Al-Tayeb, and Pope Francis.

In 2019, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the grand imam of Al-Azhar signed the Human Fraternity Document in Abu Dhabi.

Separately, Egypt’s mufti, Shawki Allam, president of the Supreme Council of the General Secretariat for Fatwa Authorities Worldwide, will participate in the activities of the Forum for Building Bridges Between East and West.

The event was due to be held on Wednesday at the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York.

Ibrahim Negm, senior adviser to Allam, said: “This four-day visit is an extension of the international tours conducted by Egypt’s mufti in light of the strategy adopted by Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta as one of Egypt’s soft power sources in religious communication and reaching out to the world.”

The mufti’s visit, he added, would include meetings with several UN leaders “to strengthen communication and cooperation and establish common goals and programs to enhance the culture of communication, understanding, and knowledge-sharing. This is a step to correct the image of Islam in the West and confront waves of Islamophobia, hate speech, and extremism.”