Kazakhstan and UNESCO to set up International Center for Rapprochement of Cultures

26 June, 2019 10:58

On 25 June 2019 in Paris the Kazakh Government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization signed an agreement to establish an International Center for the Rapprochement of Cultures under UNESCO auspice. The agreement was signed by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Gulshara Abdykalikova, the press service of the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sport reported.

The Center is to be established under UNESCO auspice under the Kazakh Culture and Sport Ministry’s Center for the Rapprochement of Cultures.

Kazakhstan’s initiative reportedly was approved at the November 2017 39th UNESCO General Conference.

The Center will focus on promoting research, preparing publications, arranging conferences and educational activities on the history and practices of international interaction in Central Asia and beyond.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay stressed Kazakhstan’s constructive contribution to the work of UNESCO and expressed confidence that the new Center will foster intercultural dialogue globally and regionally.

The signing ceremony followed the talks between the Kazakh Vice Prime Minister and the UNESCO Director-General during which the UNESCO Director-General was informed about the election results in Kazakhstan, the priorities of the foreign and domestic policies of new Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and on the continuity of Yelbasy (Leader of the Nation) Nursultan Nazarbayev’s course, the nation-wide implementation of the public consciousness modernization program titled “Rukhani Zhangyru”, the focus areas of the article “Seven facets of the Great Steppe” and the events for the Year of Youth.

Gulshara Abdykalikova also briefed on the development of the city of Turkestan and confirmed the commitment of our country to the appropriate projects’ implementation taking into consideration the status of the Mausoleum of Khawaja Ahmed Yasawi as a World Heritage site and in line with the international standards for protection of the distinguished historical and cultural monuments.

The Deputy Prime Minister also asked Audrey Azoulay to support the holding the events marking the 175 years of eminent Kazakh poet and thinker Abai Kunanbayuly, to take place the next year at the Organization’s headquarters.

On her part, Audrey Azoulay thanked Gulshara Abdykalikova for the talk and pointed to the constructive contribution of Kazakhstan globally and regionally.

For reference: Kazakhstan has been sitting on the UNESCO since May 22, 1992, with Kazakhstan’s National Commission on UNESCO and ISESCO organizing the cooperation.

Kazakhstan is a party to 15 international conventions under the UNESCO auspice. The country’s 3 applications are enlisted in the “Memory of the World” documentary heritage registry, 5 – in the world heritage list, 10 – in the non-tangible cultural heritage, 11 – in the biosphere reserve network, 21 – in the calendar of memorable dates.

5 departments, 31 associated schools and 50 clubs of UNESCO operate across the country. Upon Kazakhstan’s initiative, the UN General Assembly declared 2013-22 the international decade of the rapprochement of cultures and assigned UNESCO responsible for its program’s implementation.

allnews