Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev on November 11 awarded UN Resident Coordinator Antonius Broek Azerbaijan's high honor – the Taraggi medal (Progress).

Broek, who is at the end of his diplomatic mission in the country, received the medal on the 70th anniversary of the United Nations for his fruitful contributions to the execution of the UN’s projects in Azerbaijan in a variety of fields.

The head of state hailed the successful diplomatic activity of the resident coordinator in Azerbaijan.

Touching upon the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UN, President Aliyev expressed his satisfaction with the level of partnership and practical execution of various important projects.

For his part, Broek thanked the head of state for awarding him the Taraggi medal and described it as high recognition of their activities.

During the meeting, the sides expressed confidence that further cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UN would be successful.

Azerbaijan, having been admitted to the UN 23 years ago, recognizes the leading role of the organization in establishing and maintaining international peace and security as well as sustainable development and democratization.

Azerbaijan is actively participating in the work of various other UN bodies and agencies, including the UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNESCO, UNCTAD, and IAEA in political, economic, scientific and technical, cultural, and humanitarian fields.

Azerbaijan has for the first time secured a seat on the UN Security Council in 2011, as temporary member of the 15-nation council for a two-year term.

At the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in September, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said his country supported the peacekeeping operations of the UN as an indispensable mechanism in maintaining international peace and security.

On its part, the UN supports Azerbaijan’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis.

Next year, Azerbaijan will host the Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.

President Aliyev has also allocated 3.5 million manats (US$3.3 million) for the organization of the seventh Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Baku. The event will be held on April 25-27, 2016.

The sum will be allocated from the 2015 Contingency Fund of the President to the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Minister Mammadyarov had voiced the proposal by the Azerbaijani government to hold the Global Forum while he was attending the annual meeting of the ministers of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in 2014.

Representatives of Bahrain, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Qatar, and other countries supported Baku's initiative, noting the rich traditions of multiculturalism and tolerance in Azerbaijan.

The Global Forums are one of the most respected UN platforms for intercultural dialogue, understanding, and cooperation by connecting governments, lawmakers, local authorities, civil society organizations, the media, and religious leaders devoted to promoting trust and understanding between diverse communities, specifically between Islamic and Western societies.

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