The solemn forum “Turkmenistan–UNESCO: the role of Turkmen youth in enhancing strategic cooperation with the Global Youth Community” was held today at the Center of Public Organizations of Turkmenistan on the occasion of a significant event – the admission of the Magtymguly Youth Organization of Turkmenistan to the official members of the Global Youth Community of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which became a bright evidence of the triumph of the progressive policy pursued by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in this direction.

Before the forum, its participants got acquainted with a specially organized exhibition, which presented books by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Hero-Arkadag, national values included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind, manuscripts of Magtymguly Fraghy, collections of his poems published in Turkmen and foreign languages, decorative and applied objects art, etc. Song and music performances added special notes to the festive atmosphere.

The official part of the solemn event was preceded by a demonstration of a video clip in which the song “Ýaşlar Size alkyş aýdýar Gahryman Arkadagymyz, Arkadagly Serdarymyz!” was performed by students of the Turkmen State Institute of Culture.

Congratulating everyone on the historic event, which will be inscribed in golden letters in the modern history of sovereign Turkmenistan, the speakers emphasized that the admission of the Youth Organization of Turkmenistan, proudly bearing the name of the great poet-thinker Magtymguly Fraghy, into the membership of the UNESCO Global Youth Community was an obvious recognition of the merits of our country in strengthening international youth dialogue.

As it was noted, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who sees the great future of the Motherland in youth, initially identified youth policy as the most important priorities of the country’s development and thereby laid a solid foundation for creating all opportunities for harmonious spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual and physical development of the current and future generations of Turkmen citizens.

Today, the Magtymguly Youth Organization of Turkmenistan carries out active international cooperation in order to exchange experience, identify the abilities and talents of the country’s youth, their social support, and stimulate entrepreneurial and creative activity.

Thanks to the favorable conditions created by the state, young men and women receive professional education at prestigious foreign universities, successfully participate in international intellectual, creative and sports competitions, as well as in the social and cultural life of the country.

In order to strengthen the legal basis of the work carried out, to more fully realize the multifaceted potential of youth, the Law “On State Youth Policy” was developed and adopted in a new edition, and the State Program in the field of State Youth policy of Turkmenistan for 2021-2025 and an Action Plan for its implementation were approved.

Another large-scale systemic measure was the adoption in June of this year, held under the motto “Happy Youth with Arkadag Serdar”, of the Strategy of International Cooperation of the Youth of Turkmenistan for 2023-2030, approved by the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan in order to develop international youth partnership based on the legislation and international treaties of the country.

In the speeches made, it was emphasized that the admission of the Magtymguly Youth Organization of Turkmenistan to the official members of the UNESCO Global Youth Community was a clear example of the successful implementation of the work carried out in this direction.

Such a joyful event symbolically coincided with the recent celebration of the 30th anniversary of the entry of our Motherland into this prestigious UN Organization, cooperation with which is among the priorities of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy strategy. After all, UNESCO’s efforts to solve the pressing problems of the 21st century through cultural diplomacy are fully in tune with the initiatives put forward by our country in the interests of peace, security and sustainable development at the global level. 

Today, under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the multifaceted partnership with this specialized UN agency is steadily expanding, being filled with new concrete content. In recent years, two UNESCO chairs have been established – at the Magtymguly Turkmen State University and the Seyitnazar Seydi Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute. UNESCO Clubs have been established in three universities of the country – at the Dovletmammet Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages, the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Turkmen Agricultural Institute in Dashoguz velayat. Six secondary schools of the country are included in the UNESCO Associated Schools system.

Since 2021, the International Program “Memory of the World” established by this Organization in 1992 with the aim of preserving and popularizing the World Documentary Heritage, is being actively implemented. As a result of the joint work with international experts, the heritage of the great Turkmen poet Magtymguly Fraghy was included in the “Memory of the World” register for the first time. This decision was made on May 24 of the current year at the 216th session of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Great opportunities are opening up for the Turkmen youth, taking into account closer cooperation with the UNESCO Global Youth Community, which is designed to stimulate and ensure the deep involvement of young people in interesting and promising projects within the Organization.

According to the general opinion, as a result of the increased care on the part of the state, our happy youth, who are the future of the Motherland, will continue to take an active part in the implementation of large-scale reforms of the era of the Revival of the new epoch of the powerful state, making their worthy contribution to strengthening international authority and further prosperity of the sovereign Homeland.

At the end of the forum, its participants received Grateful Addresses to the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Hero-Arkadag.