On September 12–13, 2019, a Consultative Meeting of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the Member States of the Executive Council of the Organization was held in Istanbul (Turkey).
The event was arranged by the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO. Yavuz Kiran, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister, Nadir Alpaslan Turkish Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, and Mustafa Safran, Turkish Deputy Minister of National Education welcomed the participants. The meeting was chaired by Professor Öcal Oğuz, the President of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO.
The attendees discussed the participation of national commissions in the process of strategic transformation of UNESCO, shared their experiences in implementing the Organization’s programs in their home countries, and familiarized themselves with the functions of the new online platform created by the UNESCO Secretariat, which is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of interactions between the commissions. An interesting and open discussion unfolded regarding the role of national commissions in raising the visibility of UNESCO at the national and regional levels.
All participants of the meeting noted the event’s high level of organization, and expressed gratitude to the hosts — the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO, which this year marks its 70th anniversary. The Consultative Meeting in Istanbul provided an opportunity to exchange views on the most significant issues on the agenda of the Organization, as well as to have a look at the beautiful monuments of this ancient city, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Head of Department, represented the Front Office of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO Kirill Rynza.