December 14, 2010

Mehriban Aliyeva attends ceremony on the 65th anniversary of UNESCO in Paris

Ceremony on the 65th anniversary of UNESCO was held at the head office of the Organization in Paris, December 14.

Mehriban Aliyeva, Azerbaijan`s First Lady, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP, attended the ceremony.

 

First, Mrs Aliyeva attended the ceremony of presentation of book 'Efforts towards challenges of female identity' by Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyannis, the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador from Greece.

 

In the event attended by goodwill ambassadors of UNESCO, Azerbaijan`s First Lady met with Director General of the Organization Irina Bokova.

 

Participants of the ceremony had a lunch. Mehriban Aliyeva was present in the lunch.

 

Addressing the ceremony of presentation, the UNESCO Director General highly valued the fact that the book has been written by a member of the UNESCO family. According to her, dedicated to the women’s role in society, the book is an important step towards the promotion of the UNESCO values as well.

 

Marianna Vardinoyannis expressed thanks to the participants for coming. She said women have always played huge role in development of universal civilization and this book is devoted to the participation and labor of women in creation and evolution of civilization.

 

The book, which analyzes a socio-cultural action of women in society from ancient times to this day, was assessed as a worthy contribution to the UNESCO heritage.

 

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Then, ceremony on the 65th anniversary of UNESCO took place. The ceremony was opened by a video on activities of the Organization.

 

Chairwoman of Azerbaijan Composers Union, People’s Artist Firangiz Alizade performed in the fortepiano.

 

The host welcomed guests and First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva.

 

Delivering jubilee congratulations, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said UNESCO, which contributes to the peace worldwide, keeps devotion to its tradition and takes close part in the dialogue of civilizations and cultures.

 

Director General of UNESCO in 1974-1987 Amadou-Mahtar M`Bow congratulated the UNESCO staff and everyone working for the establishment of the ideas of this organization. He mentioned UNESCO, which partakes in settlement of science, education and culture challenges in the world and helps creation of peace in the globe, successfully continues its mission. 

 

Director General of the Organization in 1987-1999 Federico Mayor evaluated the UNESCO values as important in our complicated world. He said giving a huge contribution to the global peace, UNESCO has been acting for this supreme goal from the very beginning of its operation. 

 

UNESCO Director General in 1999-2009 Koichiro Matsuura said after WWII the world needed such an organization to achieve the peace. Gap in this field was filled up by creation of UNESCO that served the peace in all times. He stated the Organization continues this mission in XXI century too.

 

‘For 65 years UNESCO has become a part of our world’, said President of the UNESCO General Conference Davidson L.Hepburn, adding the humanism ideas will always be dominating in the Organization’s action.

 

Chairwoman of the Organization’s Executive Board Eleonora Mitrofanova emphasized the realization of education projects among the programmes the Organization performs.

 

Following the speeches, a film reflecting the key spheres in UNESCO’s activity in XXI century was shown.

 

Summing up the ceremony, Director General of the Organization Irina Bokova said UNESCO is the memory of the world, the most influential organization preserving the mankind’s tangible and cultural heritage. Action of this organization forms the cornerstone principles of protection of the peace in the globe. She mentioned history of UNESCO is sourced from great ideas and the UNESCO family makes huge efforts to create these values. Taking close part in protection and development of education, science, culture in the world, UNESCO will be devoted to those principles in this century, too, and make significant contributions to the propaganda of cultural heritage in different countries and regions.

 

UNESCO was founded in November 1945. The Organization, head office of which is located in Paris, covers 67 bureaus and subsections in different regions worldwide. The Organization has 191 members. The major goal of UNESCO is to assist to the strengthening of peace and security by expanding the cooperation of nations in the fields of education, science and culture irrespective of race, gender, language and religion. The Organization realizes these goals via the national commissions in member countries.

 

Azerbaijan is one of the active members of UNESCO. First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, who is the goodwill ambassador of the Organization since 2004, plays special role in relationship of Azerbaijan with this organization. Thanks to her merits, mugham was included in 2003 in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, International Mugham Center was created in Baku. As a result of devotion of Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva to the UNESCO values, a number of cultural monuments in Azerbaijan have been included in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO directors general have visited Azerbaijan in different times and were familiarized with Azerbaijan’s history, culture, national values. In a word, UNESCO-Azerbaijan cooperation is successfully developing.

 

Ceremony on the 65th anniversary of UNESCO was enriched by performers from Thailand, Cameroon, Bolivia, Turkey, Greece, Canada, Morocco, Lebanon.