A major gathering of Christians and Muslims at Cairo's prestigious Al-Azhar University has heard passionate appeals for understanding and unity from delegates.

Pope Francis is due to address the International Conference on Peace tomorrow. Church leaders gathered in advance for a 'day of dialogue'.

Among the speakers was the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev Dr Olaf Fykse Tveit, who said Christians and Muslims represent around half the world's population. 'So as we are here, we are not talking about only ourselves,' he said. 'We are talking about humanity in many ways. We should address these questions from a basic theological perspective. What does it mean to believe today in one God that created the one humanity?'

He also emphasised that, because we are accountable to God, we have to see how that leads to an accountability to every human being. 'This is our mutual accountability to one another, to every human being, whatever belief or non-belief we have,' he said. 'I think this is a very important reflection, working jointly toward equal citizenship. It is not only a political or a legal principle; it is also a principle that expresses our deepest faith in one God creating the one humanity.'

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, who has resolutely opposed violence and extremism in the Muslim world, said: 'Citizenship and peaceful co-existence are the greatest challenges that have to be focused on and built upon to counter fanaticism, terrorism and baseless theological claims and conceptualisations.' He added: 'Citizenship is the major guarantee for achieving absolute equality in rights and duties.'

Bishop Angaelos, general bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, stressed the need for 'a proactive leadership – a leadership that looks beyond the problem and tries to address the future'. He asked: 'Where would we like to be in five years, 10 years, the next generation? Let us address the whole world together instead of just speaking to ourselves.'

The Church leaders were speaking ahead of the International Conference on Peace is organised by Al Azhar University. More than 400 religious leaders gathered for the conference itself, at which Tveit said: 'Violence in the name of religion cannot be done without violating the values of religion. Violence in the name of God towards those who are created in the image of God becomes violence against God. We are from the beginning to the end accountable to God.'