BMW Group and Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) celebrate 10 years of partnership and extend their cooperation.

Munich. The BMW Group and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) are carrying their cooperation forward on promoting intercultural dialogue and strengthening civil societies, which started exactly ten years ago. “We are proud of a decade of partnership with UNAOC and the contribution we are making through educational initiatives and intercultural dialogue worldwide. We are therefore delighted to be continuing this successful partnership,” said Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources, Labour Relations Director.

“It is an honour to celebrate 10 years of partnership with the BMW Group, particularly given the important work we are doing towards social inclusion and diversity. We count on continuing this ever-growing collaboration between the United Nations and the private sector, which has shown to amplify and strengthen the work of social innovators around the world”, said Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).

10 years of advancing diversity and intercultural dialogue.

The partnership between BMW Group and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) began in 2011, a time within which both partners presented the Intercultural Innovation Award for the first time. This award, which has been bestowed regularly since then, honours projects around the world that promote intercultural understanding and diverse, inclusive societies. To this day, 61 award winners have been able to reach more than five million people worldwide with their projects since the Intercultural Innovation Award’s inception.

Award ceremony at EXPO 2020 - the stage of cultural diversity.

This year, the award ceremony will take place on 18 November as part of the themed week on tolerance and inclusivity at this year’s Expo 2020 in Dubai. Over 1,100 organisations from 120 countries applied to an open call for applications which this year focused particularly on targeting projects that promote gender equality and advocate for women’s rights, combat violent extremism, hatred and prejudice, and use art, culture and sport as enablers of social change.

The Intercultural Innovation Award: Commitment that lasts.

Besides the financial support of 200,000 USD to be divided equally across the 10 selected projects, award winners will also benefit from professional project guidance from the BMW Group, UNAOC and the business consulting firm Accenture. Recipients will also receive managerial and strategic project support and become part of the “Intercultural Leaders” network, which connects professionals and managers across the globe. “The award ceremony is a very special moment: the successful organisations will be able to put their ideas into action and receive valuable professional support from our project partners. We are pleased to see that so many impressive projects applied again this year. This shows the depth of creativity and innovative power that surrounds cultural diversity,” said Ilka Horstmeier in her role as the patron of the Intercultural Innovation Award.

With partnerships like this, the BMW Group pursues its goal of shaping societal change. The company wants to contribute to sustainable progress ecologically, economically, and socially. This aspiration was also made apparent at the IAA Mobility 2021: A light show projected the UNAOC logo and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals onto the façade of the company's headquarters in Munich to mark the partnership’s anniversary.

For further questions please contact:

Corporate Communications

Milena Pighi, BMW Group Corporate Communications and Governmental Affairs,

Spokesperson Corporate Citizenship

Telephone: +49-89-382-66563, Milena.PA.Pighi@bmw.de

Markus Sagemann, BMW Group Corporate Communications and Governmental Affairs

Head of Communications HR, Work Environment, Real Estate, Corporate Citizenship

Telephone: +49-89-382-68796, Markus.Sagemann@bmw.de

Media website: www.press.bmw.de

Email: presse@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce of 120,726 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set its course for the future early on and is making sustainability and resource efficiency the focus of the company’s strategic direction – from the supply chain, through production, to the end of the use phase, for all its products.

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  United Nations Alliance of Civilizations

The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is an initiative of the UN Secretary-General, which aims to improve understanding and cooperative relations among nations and peoples across cultures and religions and help counter the forces that fuel polarization and extremism.

UNAOC was established in 2005, at the initiative of the Governments of Spain and Turkey, under the auspices of the United Nations. In January 2019, H.E. Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos assumed the position of High Representative for UNAOC, succeeding H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, who succeeded H.E. Mr. Jorge Sampaio.

UNAOC maintains a global network of partners, including states, international and regional organizations, civil society groups, foundations, and the private sector, to improve cross-cultural relations between diverse nations and communities.

https://www.unaoc.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unaoc.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/unaoc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unaoc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/unaocvideos   

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unaoc/