ASTANA – Kazakhstan is committed to strengthening cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), State Counselor Erlan Karin said at the General Policy Debate of the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference on Nov. 8 in Paris, reported the Akorda press service.
Erlan Karin at the General Policy Debate of the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference. Photo credit: Akorda.
Karin, who also serves as the сhairman of Kazakhstan’s National Commission for UNESCO and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), emphasized that fostering comprehensive cooperation with UNESCO is vital.
He said the interaction contributes to the successful implementation of political, economic, social, and humanitarian reforms in Kazakhstan.
Mentioning several initiatives outlined by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the second meeting of the National Kurultai (Congress) and in his state-of-the-nation address, the state counselor said the goal of ongoing reforms to form a new quality of the nation by advancing education, science, and culture.
Karin recalled the President’s words at the United Nations General Assembly that all holy books, including the Quran, need legal protection from vandalism.
He underscored Tokayev’s initiative to host a Regional Climate Summit in Kazakhstan under the auspices of the UN in 2026 to address climate change.
Karin stressed UNESCO’s systemic support for delivering specific projects in Kazakhstan related to protecting cultural and natural heritage, education development, human sciences, communications, and the media.
He thanked UNESCO member states for their support in including the Altyn Emel National Park and the Barsakelmes Nature Reserve on the World Heritage List as part of the transnational nomination Cold Winter Deserts of Turan.
Karin wrote in his Nov. 9 Telegram post that Kazakhstan’s application to include the 100th anniversaries of writer Berdibek Sokpakbaev in 2024 and composer, conductor, dombra player, and teacher Nurgisa Tlendiyev in 2025 in the UNESCO Calendar of Memorable Dates was accepted during the conference.
In addition, the joint application of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyz Republic, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to mark the 950th anniversary of Mahmud al-Kashgari’s first encyclopedic dictionary of Turkic languages, “Diwani lugat at-Turk,” written in 1074, was also accepted.
“The decisions of the UNESCO General Conference will undoubtedly contribute to the popularization of Kazakh culture worldwide,” Karin wrote.
