Former Portuguese president Jorge Sampaio, the UN high representative for the alliance, said he had contacted entrepreneurs including Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and Virgin founder Richard Branson to obtain financial contributions.

Jordan announced a $100-million fund for audiovisual productions promoting cultural integration and Qatar the same amount for youth employment at the alliance’s first annual forum, which concluded Wednesday.

The two-day forum brought together about 350 people from more than 60 countries, including representatives of governments, international organisations and civil society.

So far, the biggest financial contribution of around 2 million euros ($3 million) has been made by Spain, which launched the Alliance of Civilisations after Islamist train bombings killed 191 people in Madrid in 2004.

Other measures announced by Sampaio included the creation of a network of ambassadors to promote the goals of the alliance, a rapid reaction media mechanism to deal with inter-cultural crises, an engagement by religious leaders to counter extremism, an educational programme, cooperation with international organisations, and national action plans.

Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega defended the alliance against those who ‘reviled and discredited’ it, describing it as ‘the biggest effort by the international community… to increase security levels in the world.’

The need for inter-cultural dialogue is more urgent than ever, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned in his opening address Tuesday.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined his Spanish counterpart Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in sponsoring the Alliance of Civilisations, which was adopted by the UN in 2005.

Critics have slammed the alliance as a grandiose project with little practical impact.