In October 1993, Uzbekistan became a full member of UNESCO, a specialized agency of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Since then, cooperation with this Organization has been actively developing and strengthening. In 1996, the UNESCO representative office in Uzbekistan was opened, the main task of which was to provide technical assistance within its competence.

Currently, several major projects are being implemented under the auspices of the representative office in such areas as technical and vocational education and training, professional development of teachers, media sector reform, tangible and intangible heritage promotion, and creative economy.

Let’s recall the most significant recent events for Uzbekistan in this vein.

Uzbekistan has been elected to the UNESCO Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

At the eighth session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Paris, Uzbekistan was elected a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for 2022-2026.

Currently, this UNESCO Convention is supported by 180 states. Uzbekistan joined it in 2008.

In recent years, 9 more samples of national heritage have been included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, and the city of Bukhara has been included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Bukhara in Creative Cities Network

The program covers seven creative areas: decorative, applied, folk art, design, cinema, gastronomy, literature, media art, and music.

The Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan presented Bukhara in decorative, applied, and folk art, as well as a four-year plan for developing the creative sphere in this city.

In 2025, Bukhara will host the First Biennale of Contemporary Design and Crafts.

Rumi’s works are included in the Memory of the World Register

The inclusion of the collection of works by one of the most significant figures of world literature, the great thinker Mavlono Jaloliddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi, in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register has become a global event.

In 2017, the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO launched an initiative to submit Rumi’s works to the Organization in cooperation with countries that have them in their public funds. The collection of works by Jaloliddin Rumi, located in Uzbekistan in the repository of the Abu Rayhan Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies, was included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register program.

The Memory of the World Register was established by UNESCO in 1992. The total number of collections included in it has reached 494.

Uzbekistan coordinated the project

The Zarafshan-Karakum corridor of the Great Silk Road has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It consists of 31 facilities, most of which are located in the territory of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan coordinated the project to include the Zarafshan-Karakum corridor of the Great Silk Road in the World Heritage List.

The Zarafshan-Karakum corridor is a unique example of human interaction with nature, illustrated by structures for managing water resources and infrastructure in mountains, arid steppes, oases, fertile valleys, and desert zones, which have contributed to the functioning of the trade route for centuries.

In his speech at the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated the need to preserve the spirit of harmony and practical cooperation, bringing countries together based on common interests above existing contradictions.

The development of human capital and the upbringing of a creative young generation are among the strategic tasks that Uzbekistan has set itself.

Cooperation between Uzbekistan and UNESCO is essential for the country’s development in education, science, culture, and preservation of cultural heritage. It helps Uzbekistan improve its educational and scientific systems, preserve its rich cultural heritage, and attract tourists worldwide.

Aziza Alimova, UzA