Uzbekistan’s global initiatives at UNESCO

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, delivered a speech at the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference held in Samarkand, putting forward a number of proposals aimed at strengthening education, protecting cultural heritage, and enhancing international humanitarian cooperation. In his address, the head of state emphasized that Uzbekistan is always ready to serve as a bridge of dialogue between East and West, North and South, stating: “Our country is always ready to serve as a platform for dialogue among civilizations.”

This statement reveals Uzbekistan’s strategic perspective in the modern system of international relations. The Samarkand summit remained a historic event, as for the first time in 40 years, the UNESCO General Conference was held outside its headquarters in Paris.

This situation was regarded as a sign of high confidence in the reforms underway in the “New Uzbekistan”. In the President’s address, the issue of education took center stage.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, stressing the necessity of providing equal opportunities for every child, proposed the establishment of a global platform for the development of inclusive education under the auspices of UNESCO. This structure is intended to become a center for exchanging advanced experiences and technologies for children with special needs.

Continuing on this topic, our President proposed holding a world summit on vocational education. This summit is intended to serve as a platform for developing common approaches to global personnel training.

Particular attention was paid to the integration of modern technologies into the educational process. Uzbekistan, in cooperation with UNESCO, expressed its readiness to implement the “School of Artificial Intelligence” project.

In addition, there was a proposal to organize an international forum dedicated to discussing the ethical aspects of using artificial intelligence. This reflects a deep understanding of not only the technological, but also the humanitarian challenges of the digital age.

On the subject of preserving humanity’s cultural heritage, the president put forward a number of important proposals. One of them is to declare November 19 as Documentary Heritage Day.

To systematically organize work in this direction, it was proposed to establish an International Institute of Digital Heritage within UNESCO. This institute will work on digitizing archives and manuscripts.

Confirming its commitment to the development of traditional craftsmanship, Uzbekistan proposed holding the International Handicrafts Congress in Bukhara in 2027. Gender issues also received attention.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, noting that women hold only a quarter of leadership positions in scientific and cultural organizations, proposed the establishment of a Women’s Leadership Academy under UNESCO. In order to address this issue in a practical discussion, it is planned to hold an International Women’s Forum in Samarkand.

Against the backdrop of global climate change, the innovative environmental initiative—the “UNESCO Ecological Capital” concept—was presented. This status will be awarded to cities successfully implementing “green” programs.

As a concrete step, Uzbekistan is ready to hold an international symposium in Khiva on preserving heritage sites under changing climate conditions. The Samarkand summit became a platform for Uzbekistan to put forward a package of strategic initiatives that will determine the direction of humanitarian cooperation for years to come.

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