Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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The 224th session of the Executive Board of the UNESCO has begun at the organization's headquarters, AzerNEWS reports.

During the plenary debates held within the session, Azerbaijan's Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Ambassador Elman Abdullayev, delivered the country's national statement.

The statement emphasized the importance of further strengthening institutional efficiency, transparency, and accountability within UNESCO, as well as ensuring alignment between the organization's priorities and its available resources and implementation mechanisms. It also highlighted UNESCO's vital role in promoting dialogue and cooperation in the fields of education, science, and culture amid global challenges.

The need to enhance coordination between member states and the Secretariat was underlined, along with the importance of ongoing reforms in this direction. It was noted that fostering mutual understanding, dialogue, and cooperation is crucial in a rapidly changing global environment, and UNESCO's mandate enables it to play a unique role in this regard.

The statement also expressed gratitude to Uzbekistan for successfully hosting the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference, held in the city of Samarkand in October–November last year.

In addition, statements were delivered on behalf of Azerbaijan by the Permanent Delegation for the Group of 77 and China Paris Chapter, as well as the Organization of Turkic States Group at UNESCO.

The statement delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China reaffirmed commitment to multilateralism, international cooperation, and solidarity, emphasizing the importance of collective action in advancing the priorities of developing countries. It also highlighted the promotion of inclusive and quality education under Sustainable Development Goal 4, the importance of education in the mother tongue, and the role of education as a key driver of sustainable development.

Furthermore, the statement expressed support for UNESCO's global priorities, including Africa and gender equality, as well as initiatives related to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and youth. It stressed the need for stronger support to member states within the framework of the organization's program and budget. Support was also voiced for the UNESCO 80 Roadmap, noting that the perspectives of developing countries should be reflected in decision-making processes.

In the statement delivered on behalf of the Turkic States Group, particular emphasis was placed on strengthening multilateralism, preserving and promoting the shared historical and cultural heritage of Turkic states, and advancing joint initiatives within UNESCO.

The importance of combating racism, discrimination, xenophobia, and hate speech was highlighted, along with the need to enhance scientific cooperation to address global challenges such as climate change, water security, and sustainable development.

The statement also addressed digital transformation and the ethical use of artificial intelligence, stressing the importance of promoting the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Turkic world at the international level.

It was noted that, for the first time in UNESCO's history, a statement was delivered on behalf of the Turkic States Group.

The 224th session of UNESCO's Executive Board will conclude on April 23.