Culture Ministry: Kazakhstan’s nominations to be included in UNESCO "Memory of World" Program

17 July, 2014 11:50

Speaking at the CCS media briefing today on July 17, Secretary General of the National Commission for UNESCO and ISESCO Assel Utegenova noted Kazakhstan cooperates with UNESCO on preparation of country’s nominations to the UNESCO World Heritage List “Memory of world.”

“UNESCO diploma on registration of eight sites in the World Heritage List wil be handed to Kazakhstan within the first interregional council of the National Commission for UNESCO which is set to be held on July 22-24 in Astana,” Assel Utegenova said.

Besides, according to her, Katon-Karagay state national park and "Akzhaiyk" biosphere reserve were registered in the World Heritage List in June this year in Sweden. The certificates were handed over to the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

Three sites – the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly and the Korgalzhynskiy and Naurzumski reserves entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in the category “Sary-Arka-Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan,” according to the Ministry of Culture.

In addition, the work is being done to prepare the nomination "The monuments of ancient Otrar" which will be included in the World Heritage List.

For reference: The Memory of the World Program is a major part of UNESCO's work to help preserve the cultures of the world as expressed through the documentary heritage

The Memory of World is the collective and documentary memory of peoples of the world – their documentary heritage – that represents part of the world’s cultural heritage. It traces the evolution of thinking, discoveries, developments and achievements of humanity. It is the legacy of the past available for the global community of the present and of the future.

Great part of the Memory of World is found in libraries, archives, museums, and in local custodies spread around the world. Great percentage of them are endangered today. The documentary heritage of numerous peoples has been dispersed due to accidental removal, war damages of archives or bibliographic collections or to other historical circumstances. Sometimes, practical or political obstacles make its access difficult while in other cases, deterioration or destruction are the menaces.

Kamila Amirova

allnews