Two new national parks of Kazakhstan join UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves
The National Commission of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ISESCO under Culture and Sport Minister, Chairwoman of the National Commission Aktoty Raimkulova gathered a meeting on 31 January 2020 at the National Academic Library of Kazakhstan, with its permanent members, heads of interested state bodies, prominent figures of education, science and culture of Kazakhstan in presence, Strategy2050.kz reports with reference to the Kazakh foreign ministry.
The meeting dwelled upon the specific results of the Commission’s work, thematic committees, clubs and associated schools of UNESCO. The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves was added by two more national parks of Kazakhstan - Charynsky and Zhongar-Alatausky. Meanwhile the representative list of intangible cultural heritage of mankind was supplemented by two nominations of Kazakhstan - “Heritage of Korkyt” and “Traditional spring ceremonies of Kazakh horse breeders - kymyzmuryndyk, biebailau and aigyr kosu”. Under the auspices of UNESCO in Paris, the international forum dubbed The Great Steppe: the spiritual heritage and its contribution took place.
Kazakhstan was elected to the international coordinating council of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program, and head of the relevant Kazakhstan National Committee Roman Yashchenko was appointed to the International Committee of Advisers on Biosphere Reserves.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan - Deputy Chairman of the National Commission Yerzhan Ashikbayev pointed out that UNESCO remains an important partner of Kazakhstan in solving problems in the socio-cultural sphere, and is also a unique platform for promoting national achievements in the fields of culture, science, education, information technology.
The meeting’s participants also touched upon the priority areas of the Commission's activities for 2020, including the preparation and promotion of new national nominations on the UNESCO World Heritage and Intangible Heritage lists.
The Commission’s members placed special attention to the discussion of the organization of the celebration of the 1150th anniversary of al-Farabi and the 2200th anniversary of Shymkent, which were listed in the UNESCO calendar of memorable dates this year.
