The solemn meeting of the National Commission of the Republic of Belarus for UNESCO was held on May 23, 2019 in Minsk to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the country’s accession to UNESCO.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Chairman of the National Commission for UNESCO, Vladimir Makei in his opening remarks defined the agenda of the commemorative event: “The jubilee meeting offers a great opportunity to take stock of Belarus-UNESCO partnership and to discuss prospects for further cooperation.”
The meeting held in The National Library of Belarus was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko, Secretary-General of the Commission of the Republic of Belarus for UNESCO Natalya Schasnovich, Secretary-General of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO Grigory Ordzhonikidze, current and former members of the National Commission, senior government officials, heads of cultural and educational establishments, representatives of the UNESCO Secretariat and the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, as well as the diplomatic corps accredited to the country.
Vladimir Makei stressed that Belarus was re-elected to the Executive Board for the fifth time in 2017 and noticed, “Not only does it serve as evidence of the state’s high international standing, but it also is a sure sign of commending the country for the achievements in maintaining and strengthening its national capacity in the field of education, science, culture, and information.”
Special consideration was given to the issues of Belarus-UNESCO cultural cooperation, the country’s participation in the Communication and Information sector programs, and the importance of youth engagement in promoting UNESCO’s ideals.
Vladimir Makei underlined: “Belarus will gladly uphold any UNESCO’s initiatives that contribute to a constructive dialogue and removal of dividing lines between countries and peoples, initiatives that help people find common ground and prevent tensions from turning into conflicts.”
The National Library introduced a virtual project developed with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of the jubilee. The Secretariat of the National Commission presented a publication “Belarus and UNESCO: 65 years of cooperation” devoted to the history and key outcomes of the Belarus-UNESCO partnership.
Based on mfa.gov.by