ASTANA – Bolat Akchulakov, the President of the Kazakhstan National Federation of Clubs for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), was elected as the President of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations (WFUCA) at the tenth World Congress, held from Oct. 26 to 29 in Seoul, reported the UNESCO’s press service.
Bolat Akchulakov (in the middle). Photo credit: unesco.org.
Most participating countries in the congress supported the decision to elect Kazakhstan, praising its unique experience implementing UNESCO initiatives and projects. They expressed hope for the WFUCA’s continued successful development under the new leadership.
The support from the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kazakhstan’s National Commission for UNESCO, and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) played a significant role in this achievement.
Originating in Japan in 1947, the UNESCO movement aims to promote its key priorities and values among civil society. This movement currently spans nearly 90 countries worldwide, comprising approximately 5,000 organizations.
Akchulakov highlighted the priority given to youth by the Kazakhstan Federation and proposed applying the accumulated experience to build a solid foundation for training future leaders of the Clubs for the UNESCO movement globally.
Among the priorities he outlined are strengthening and developing UNESCO associations and clubs worldwide, enhancing their visibility and role in local communities, and increasing the number of new associations and clubs.
The Kazakhstan National Federation of Clubs for UNESCO presently unites 190 clubs and 17,000 active members, successfully organizing around 550 events involving over 45 countries.
It launched “The Planet of ART” youth festival, which has engaged about 75,000 participants.
