All our natural riches belong to the people, and no one has the right to misuse them.
Heydar Aliyev
36th session of UNESCO General Conference in Paris
The 36th session of UNESCO General Conference started at the Organization’s Head Office in Paris, 26 October.
Mehriban Aliyeva, the head of the Azerbaijan delegation, First Lady of Azerbaijan, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO, participated in the session.
Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva delivered a speech at the Forum of Leaders on “What is UNESCO’s role in world culture and sustainable development?” within the session.
Speech by Mehriban Aliyeva:
- Dear Mrs. Director-General!
Dear ladies and gentlemen!
Dear friends!
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to UNESCO Director-General Mrs. Irina Bokova for the invitation to take part in such an important and high-level event.
The issue of today’s forum does not leave anyone indifferent, since the future of the humankind is really impossible without formation of the culture of peace and promotion of sustainable development.
Today we live in an extremely complex world. On the one hand, it is characterized with introduction of new technologies and rapid development of modern science. While earlier natural resources were considered the only sources of wealth, today people as the initiators of modern ideas and technologies play a role a new source. But unlike natural resources, human mind is limitless. The term ‘human capital’ is already not a metaphor. Mind and wealth can be taken as a single concept.
On the other hand, the world is experiencing a deep financial crisis and most view it as a sign of a more serious systemic crisis. Current globalization has turned all of us into the residents of a global world. But unfortunately we are separated from each other more than ever. The world of economy shows that this is too far from such ideals as social justice and global ethics.
Unfortunately, intolerance, xenophobia and enmity further deepen this separation. In most countries tens of millions of people face hard implications of discrimination and isolation for racial and religious belonging, as well as ethnic roots. Terrorist attacks that claim many innocent lives, political and religious radicalism are challenges to our security and the security of our children.
Wars and conflicts continue in different parts of the world, claiming millions of lives. The conflict and its implications are not just words for our country, Azerbaijan, but also the bitter truth. The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Daghlyg Garabagh, which claimed tens of thousands of lives, remains a bitter pain for all of us. This conflict resulted in occupation of 20% of Azerbaijani lands and turned about a million of people into refugees and displaced persons. Numerous historical and architectural monuments, schools, museums and libraries have been terminated in occupied lands. According to experts, if the conflicts are not averted, over 150 millions of women and children may die as a result of this in the 21st century. Most of these wars started from inciting enmity and intolerance.
However, despite this negative impact, I am optimistic about the future. We have to avert these threats through a civilized dialogue. This was the aim of the International Humanitarian Forum held in Baku some time ago and creating the opportunity to analyze most issues raised now in this audience. As part of this forum, which gathered representatives of 39 countries, the sides discussed issues as multiculturalism, modern technologies, and convergence of sciences, biotechnology and ethical problems, humanitarian aspects of economic models of development, social media and high technologies, traditional systems of values in the post-modernistic society. The Forum participants adopted the Baku Declaration, urging the international organizations including UNESCO ‘to create realistic framework for intercultural, interreligious and intercivilization dialogue for preservation of the further positive development of the humankind.’ This is of basic importance for creation of the world culture.
Dear participants.
It is clear that the new world order is already forming and this process will be accompanies with some difficulties. I believe that humanitarian aspects of globalization are extremely important. In this sense awareness of our responsibility for human civilization is an important issue. Sincere dialogue, good intentions, deeper understanding of problems we face and mutual understanding are the means that we and the future generations need for successful overcoming of difficulties.
Dear Mrs. Director-General, dear friends.
In conclusion, I wish you interesting and fruitful discussions as part of the forum.
Thank you for your attention.