On the meeting of the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ISESCO

Nur-Sultan, November 27, 2020 - A regular meeting of the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ISESCO was held via videoconference.

The event, moderated by the Chairman of the Commission Minister of Culture and sports Aktoty Raimkulova, was attended by the permanent members of the Commission - heads of interested state bodies and prominent figures of the intellectual and cultural community of our country.

The participants of the meeting discussed the outcomes of the work carried out by the Commission, its thematic committees, clubs and UNESCO Associated Schools Network in 2020, as well as the priorities and activities of the Commission for 2021.

In particular, the inclusion of Almaty and West Altai Nature Reserves in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves was discussed. In October 2020, Kazakhstan was elected a member of the Bureau of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB) for 2020-2022.

Work continued on the preparation and promotion of new national nominations to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and World Heritage Lists.

The Kazakhstan National Federation of UNESCO Clubs, the number of which has increased from 137 to 155 institutions and 10 club-candidates this year, has organized more than 400 different events across the country. Three new regional offices were established in the regions of Nur-Sultan, Zhambyl and West Kazakhstan.

Twenty-six schools that are already part of this network and 11 school-candidates are actively working to raise awareness of UNESCO's priority areas in the field of education, social sciences and culture within the framework of the UNESCO associated Schools Network.

In his speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yerzhan Ashikbayev, who serves as Deputy Chairman of the National Commission, stressed the importance of maximum adaptation of UNESCO and ISESCO programs and projects implemented in Kazakhstan to national priorities, primarily to improve the quality of human capital, the importance of which has been repeatedly stressed by the President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and is reflected in the fourth UN Sustainable Development Goal.

During the meeting, members and experts of the National Commission confirmed their commitment and readiness to further strengthen Kazakhstan's position in UNESCO and ISESCO.