Azerbaijan is a member of three subsidiary bodies of UNESCO:
1. International Bioethics Committee (2001)
2. Legal Committee (2003)
3.
Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural
Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitutions in Case of
Illicit Appropriation (PRCP)
(2003)
A highly
successful UNESCO project aiming at strengthening computer technology is
being implemented with financial assistance of the UNDP. In the
framework of this project three scientific centers for the training of
computer specialists have been set up so far: in Baku, Sumgait and
Nakhchivan. An educational TV studio was established in the Faculty of
Journalism of the Baku University (2001).
Fifteen international conferences and seminars have been held in Baku with the assistance of UNESCO:
- Celebration of the 500th anniversary of Azerbaijani poet Fuzuli (1996)
- Conference on the development of vocational education (1997)
- Conference on "Future aspects of Translation, Interpretation and Terminology in Azerbaijan in the New Global Context" (1999)
- Celebration of the 1300th anniversary of Kitabi-Dede Korkut (2000)
- National conference on legislative tools for cultural heritage protection (2001)
- Second meeting of the Network of the Pedagogical Universities of the South Caucasus (2001)
- Celebration of the 800th anniversary of Azerbaijani astronomer Nasreddin Tusi (2001)
- Regional Workshop for IT applications for the "Digital Silk Road" (2001)
- Consultation meeting on " Major events of the 20th century production of a series of TV films" (2002)
- National seminar devoted to World Space Day (2002)
- Turkic States Space Generation Forum (2003)
- Celebration of the 200th anniversary of a well-known orientalist Mirza Kazim-Bey (2003)
- East-West intercultural Dialogue (Cultural Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) (2003)
- Conference on 50th anniversary of Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict (2004)
- Regional workshop for UNESCO (ASPnet) National Coordinators and Teachers, "Quality Education in Practice" (2004)
Two UNESCO Chairs have been established in the fields of
- Human Rights, Democracy and Peace (Academy of Public Administration, Baku)
- Translation Studies (Azerbaijan University of Languages, Baku)
National Committees have been established for the following Intergovernmental Programs of UNESCO:
- Management of Social Transformations (MOST)
- International Hydrological Program (IIP)
- Man and the Biosphere (MAB)
- International Council of Museums (ICOM)
- International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
- International Music Council
- International Institute of Theatre
The following books and booklets have been translated and published in Azerbaijani language with the assistance of UNESCO:
- Human Rights: A compilation of International Instruments
- UNESCO's standard-setting instruments
- UNESCO Declaration on Tolerance
- Human Rights: questions and answers by Lea Levin
- Introducing Democracy: 80 questions and answers
- UNESCO Peace Pack
- Azerbaijan-UNESCO: 1992-2002
- What does Culture of Peace mean?
- United Nations' Declaration on Culture of Peace
- Developing
multilingual communications in Azerbaijan (2001). Follow-up of the
Conference on future aspects of translation, interpretation and
terminology in Azerbaijan in the global context, held in Baku in May
1999.
- Associative Schools Project Network
- UNESCO Declaration on Cultural Diversity
- Human Rights Protection: International and Azerbaijani mechanisms (under preparation)
The famous Azerbaijani Mugham performer Alim Gasimov was awarded the IMC-UNESCO International Music Prize in 1999.
International
Year for the Culture of Peace was widely celebrated with more than
400,000 signatures for the Manifesto2000 Culture of Peace. A special
postage stamp and envelope devoted to the International Year for the
Culture of Peace was issued in 2000.
Director-General Mr. Koichiro
Matsuura made an official visit to Azerbaijan in April 2000. Previously,
Mr. Federico Mayor had made an official visit in 1996, and later, in
2003, the Assistant Director-General for Culture Mr. Mounir Bouchenaki
visited Azerbaijan.
The Walled city of Baku, with the Shirvan-Shahs
Palace and Maiden Tower, was included in the World Heritage List (2000),
but UNESCO recommendations have not been completely fulfilled, and the
monument was included in UNESCO's World Heritage in Danger List in the
27th session of the World Heritage Committee held on July 4, 2003.
There
are different works of art in UNESCO Headquarters building given as a
present by member states. One of them is a carpet by Latif Karimov,
dedicated to Memar Ajemi, which was among several items presented to
UNESCO in 1983.
Azerbaijan Mugham was announced as a masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in November 7, 2003.
The
president of the Azerbaijani Culture Friends Foundation Mehriban
Aliyeva met with the Director-General of UNESCO Koichiro Matsuura in
2004.
Azerbaijani representatives regularly take part in conferences, seminars and other events held within the framework of UNESCO.
Azerbaijani National Commission for UNESCO