Today, on behalf of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, a meeting of the National Commission of Turkmenistan on the Activities of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which some Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers, heads and representatives of relevant ministries and departments of the country, public organizations, and mass media took part.

At the meeting, a wide range of issues of cooperation within the framework of this specialized agency of the United Nations were discussed, cooperation plans for 2024–2025 were outlined, in particular, in the context of proposals put forward by our country to include national values in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

It was heard information on the results of the work of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO over the past year in accordance with the instructions of the President of Turkmenistan, as well as on the tasks outlined in the Plan for 2024.

Along with this, it was noted that in 2023, dozens of online meetings and consultations were held with representatives of UNESCO and its regional divisions to consider promising areas of fruitful cooperation in science, education, culture and ecology.

As it is known, our state attaches special importance to the consistent expansion of interaction with UN structures, in particular with UNESCO, a full member of which Turkmenistan has been since 1993. This specialized UN agency plays an important role in international efforts to preserve cultural monuments and natural landscapes, working to create conditions for open dialogue based on respect for universal values and the dignity of every people. 

It was stated that over thirty years of cooperation, enormous successes have been achieved in implementing UNESCO’s mandate in our country, as well as increasing cultural, educational and scientific potential. This concerns issues related to the international recognition of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Turkmenistan.

With the accession of Turkmenistan to the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011, our state takes an active part in international efforts to implement its provisions, carries out large-scale work to preserve for future generations historical, cultural and natural monuments that are an integral part of world civilization.

In this context, it was emphasized that, within the framework of the above-mentioned Convention, domestic specialists, together with foreign experts, selected a number of unique historical sites on the territory of Turkmenistan – Ancient Merv, Kunyaurgench and the fortresses of Ancient Nisa, which were included in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List. The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity includes the destan art of “Gorogly”, the “Kushtdepdi” Turkmen national art of singing and dancing, the Turkmen national art of carpet weaving, the Turkmen art of embroidery, sericulture and the traditional production of silk for weaving and the tradition of retelling the parables of Molla Ependi.

In February 2023, a ceremony was held to sign agreements on the creation of UNESCO departments at the Magtymguly Turkmen State University “Cultural Heritage: From Past to Future” and at the Seyitnazar Seydi Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute “Environmental Education for Sustainable Development”.

The creation of UNESCO clubs is of great importance, primarily from the perspective of the comprehensive formation and development of creative and exploratory activities, knowledge about the cultural values, traditions and customs of their country among young people. As part of the ongoing work to open UNESCO departments with the joint participation of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO and university teams, the “Languages of the World” and “Culture of the World” clubs operate at the Turkmen National Institute of World Languages named after Dovletmammet Azadi and at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. Last year, another UNESCO club entitled “Environmental Protection is an Important Concept of Sustainable Development” was opened at the Turkmen Agricultural Institute in Dashoguz, at the Turkmen State Medical University named after Myrat Garryev – “Medicinal Plants – our Health, Our Heritage” club, at the International Academy of Horse Breeding named after Aba Annaev in Arkadag – “Akhalteke Horses – Ambassadors of Peace” club.

A clear indication of the triumph of the progressive policy pursued by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and recognition of the merits of our country in strengthening international youth dialogue was the acceptance of the Magtymguly Youth Organization of Turkmenistan as official members of the Global Youth Community of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Maintaining multilateral partnerships with the UN and its specialized agencies, the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Council of Asia and other authoritative structures, Turkmenistan regularly puts forward specific initiatives in this area, advocating the effective implementation of the opportunities of sports diplomacy.

The fact that Turkmenistan was unanimously elected as a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee on Physical Culture and Sports for 2023–2027 is an eloquent confirmation of the ever-increasing authority of the Fatherland in the international arena, as well as recognition of its significant contribution to the development of physical education and sports, and the widespread popularization of the principles of a healthy lifestyle in the world.

Also, at the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, held in Kasane town, Republic of Botswana, a unanimous decision was made to include the national nomination “The Art of Akhalteke Horse Breeding and Horse Decoration Traditions” in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This clearly demonstrates the measures being taken to further promote the horse breeding traditions of our people, who have made a great contribution to the world treasury. Unique artistic products that serve as decoration for Akhalteke horses and reflect the mentality of the nation are one of the features of the Turkmen people, passed down from generation to generation.

Last May, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, at the 216th session of the UNESCO Executive Council, a unanimous decision was made to include the collection of manuscripts of the Turkmen philosopher and poet Magtymguly Pyragy in the International Memory of the World List. Also at the session, the proposal of UNESCO Member States to celebrate 46 memorable dates in 2024–2025 was approved, including the initiative presented by Turkmenistan with the support of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan and Ukraine to include the Celebration Day in the UNESCO List of Memorial Dates 300th anniversary of the Turkmen poet Magtymguly Pyragy.

On September 20, during the 45th extended session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Riyadh city (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), a unanimous decision was made to include the proposal of Turkmenistan jointly with the Republics of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan “The Great Silk Road: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor”, as well as the proposals of Turkmenistan together with the Republics of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan “Turan Temperate Deserts” and at the same time the State Nature Reserves of our country “Bereketli Garagum”, “Gaplaňgyr”, the “Repetek” State Biosphere Reserve and the desert ecosystems of its “Ýerajy” Reserve, which significantly expanded the boundaries of cultural partnership and further increased the international authority of our state.

On October 31, 2023, good news arrived from the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris, French Republic. It is noteworthy that it was precisely when World Cities Day was celebrated that the decision was announced to include our capital, Ashgabat, in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the “Design” category.

It was noted that, in accordance with international UNESCO standards, work is actively underway to prepare, together with colleagues from the Republic of Uzbekistan, a nomination for the Koytendag mountain ecosystem for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, a multilateral nomination dossier “Turanian Temperate Deserts” with the participation of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan within the framework of the UNESCO Program “Man and the Biosphere” – to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and nominations for the art of breeding Turkmen Alabays, which are the national treasure of our people, – to the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A monograph “Turkmenistan–UNESCO: Let’s preserve monuments together” has been prepared as a manual for the international Memory of the World program. 

In connection with the announcement of 2024 as the “Year of the great poet and thinker of the Turkic world – Magtymguly Pyragy,” issues of holding a number of events dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the outstanding poet and philosopher were discussed.

The meeting of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO touched upon such current topics as strengthening the role of our country in large structural divisions of UNESCO, expanding international scientific interaction, opportunities for cooperation in digital projects and information exchange, and considered organizational and other issues.