First meeting of General Assembly of countries having ratified the Convention `On protection of non-material cultural heritage` held in Paris
Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, MP, arrived in Paris on June 26 to partake in the first meeting of General Assembly of countries having ratified the Convention `On protection of non-material cultural heritage` held by the initiative of UNESCO Culture Department. Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva is the only goodwill ambassador invited by the UNESCO director general to the meeting.
Mrs Aliyeva, arriving to the UNESCO head office, was met by UNESCO goodwill ambassadors program manager Basma Irsheyd, protocol manager Jean-Luc Shan and head of Azerbaijani permanent mission to UNESCO, ambassador Eleonora Huseynova.
Assistant to the director general on culture Francoise Ribier opened the meeting.
UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura greeted the guests, as well Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, attending such a prestigious event as the only goodwill ambassador who has given special contributions in Azerbaijan to protection and development of verbal cultural legacy.
The director general noted 45 countries have already ratified the Convention `On protection of non-material cultural heritage` and more 7 joined the Convention for several months. Saying the non-material cultural heritage is mirror of every nation`s history and wealth of all the world Mr Matsuura noted everyone should protect this wealth. He informed of works done by the organization he leads in this field.
Algerian foreign minister, Japanese science, education and technology minister talked in their speeches about works done in their countries in direction of protection of non-material cultural legacy, emphasized every country must join the Convention, noted some countries lately commit barbarism against material and non-material cultural legacies informing of the past of nations and called UNESCO to prevent such cases using its prestige.
Ministers noted non-material cultural legacy, created from primitive communal system till now and handed from generation to generation, reflects the past of the nation it belongs. They said cooperation must be established and developed among countries to protect this heritage, experience of countries in this field must be used.
Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the meeting.
Speech of Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva was welcomed with loud applauses.
Foreign, science, education and culture ministers, authorized reps of countries having ratified the Convention `On protection of non-material cultural heritage`, heads of permanent missions to UNESCO were present at the meeting.
