TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, October 30. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the opening ceremony of the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Tashkent, proposed global initiatives, Trend reports via the press service of the Uzbek president.
According to him, achieving UNESCO’s global goals and elevating multifaceted cooperation to a new level is the call of our time.
The Head of State outlined a number of concrete initiatives aimed at strengthening international cooperation in education, science, culture, and sustainable development.
President Mirziyoyev noted that developing inclusive education and integrating artificial intelligence technologies into the educational process have become urgent global priorities. He proposed establishing a UNESCO Platform for the Development of Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs and holding a World Summit on Vocational Education to facilitate dialogue and the exchange of best practices.
''Uzbekistan is also ready to implement, jointly with UNESCO, a “School of Artificial Intelligence” model project and to host an International Expert Forum on AI Ethics, bringing together representatives of leading universities, pedagogical institutions, and research centers from all continents,'' he emphasized.
Mirziyoyev emphasized the need to strengthen joint efforts to preserve the world’s intangible cultural heritage – “the invaluable treasure of humanity.” He proposed declaring November 19, the date on which UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” Program was founded, as the International Day of Documentary Heritage, and establishing an International Institute for Digital Heritage within UNESCO. Highlighting that the ancient city of Bukhara is part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the field of crafts, he announced Uzbekistan’s readiness to host an International Handicrafts Congress there in 2027.
President Mirziyoyev also underscored the importance of promoting women’s leadership and competencies. Citing UNESCO statistics that women hold only 25 percent of leadership positions in scientific and cultural institutions, 30 percent among education managers, and 33 percent among researchers, he proposed establishing a UNESCO Academy on Women’s Leadership to exchange best practices and holding a Global Forum of Women Leaders in Education, Culture, and Science in Samarkand.
Touching on climate issues, the Uzbek leader called for joint action to combat the effects of the climate crisis, which increasingly threaten cultural heritage sites. He put forward the “UNESCO Ecological Capital” global initiative to recognize cities implementing environmentally responsible and “green” programs, and expressed readiness to host an International Symposium in Khiva on safeguarding cultural heritage amid globalization and climate change.
Mirziyoyev also called attention to the growing threat of misinformation and manipulation in the digital space. He proposed holding an International Festival of Children’s Cultural Content to promote creativity and media literacy among youth, as well as developing a UNESCO Comprehensive Strategy on Media and Information Literacy.
Following his speech, the President stressed the importance of fostering universal values such as tolerance, mutual understanding, and interfaith harmony, especially amid the intensifying global polarization. He emphasized that by promoting the culture and enlightenment of Islam, it is possible to effectively counter radicalism and Islamophobia, and invited all partners to engage in joint work through Uzbekistan’s unique institutions — the Center for Islamic Civilization and the research centers of Imam Bukhari, Imam Maturidi, Imam Termizi, and Bahouddin Naqshband.