Khalifa with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with the Avicenna gold medal in recognition of his efforts and achievements in promoting education, particularly ICTs in education, and culture in Bahrain, in the Arab world, and beyond. The council underlined significance of stimulating inter-faith dialogue as embodied by initiative of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. Yet, the communique noted, the council was overwhelmed by results of the public referendum that banned the construction of minarets in Switzerland, and the endeavor of some countries in supporting such decision, which, according to the communique, is an "unacceptable" approach, and is seen as discrimination against Islam and thwarts efforts exerted in narrowing the cultural gap among different civilizations. In this connection, the council called on the Swiss Federation, as well as the international community, to intensify efforts in order to safeguard religious rights and protect places of worship. In the domain of scientific and technological cooperation, the council was briefed with steps taken to using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in member States, underlining importance for efforts in this regard to continue. Two guide books were approved in the domain of joint municipal action; one from Saudi Arabia on establishing urban observatories and another from Bahrain on municipal customs and means to collect them. The council also reviewed the memo on on ethical challenges faced by the Gulf youth, as it tasked concerned ministerial committees to follow up in this issue. The council reviewed projections of the GCC Consultative Authority on the council"s journey, impacts of the global economic crisis on GCC countries and measures taken to face them and GCC"s food and water security. All projections were approved and forwarded to concerned ministerial committees. For the 13th session of the authority, issues of developing crops, livestock and fish resources, global warming and climate change, people of special needs would be discussed in order for its outcomes to be discussed in the 31st GCC summit. The council also expressed content over outcomes of the third meeting for GCC chairmen of the GCC parliamentary councils, held earlier this month in Kuwait. The GCC leaders approved the appointment of the Bahraini nominee as the next Secretary General of the Gulf bloc as of 2011. Regarding Yemen, the council was briefed with the report by GCC secretary general, as it expressed relief over financing developmental projects in the Arab country. as it also urged donor countries to abide by pleadges made in the London Donors" Conference. It also ratified Yemen"s membership in GCC post service undersecretaries" committe
