Armenia’s National Commission for UNESCO holds meeting

Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan has chaired a meeting of Armenia’s National Commission for UNESCO.

Mirzoyan is Chair of the Commission.

According to the ministry’s readout, Mirzoyan delivered opening remarks, addressing the priorities of Armenia’s engagement in multilateral platforms, issues of cooperation with UNESCO, and initiatives stemming from the foreign policy agenda.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, Minister of Environment Hambardzum Matevosyan, Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan, and representatives of the Office of the President of the Republic of Armenia, the Prime Minister's Office, Yerevan City Hall, Matenadaran, and other agencies.

During the meeting, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan presented Armenia’s initiatives for new inscriptions on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List and World Heritage List and the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, as well as applications for inscription in the Memory of the World International Register and the ongoing work in these areas.

Reference was made to steps aimed at ensuring Armenia’s active engagement in the fields of culture and education, including the membership of Armenian cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and UNESCO Learning Cities Network, increasing participation in the UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet), as well as issues related to introducing innovative approaches in all these areas. Views were exchanged on proposals for including anniversaries in UNESCO’s calendar for 2028–2029.

In the context of discussing the advantages of implementing various programs, the importance of making strategic choices concerning them was emphasized, including from the perspective of their impact on Armenia’s economic development and directly on public life.

Minister of Environment Hambardzum Matevosyan emphasized the interconnectedness of the fields of environmental protection and preservation of natural heritage, as well as the prospects for developing international cooperation in this direction, including by Armenia as the host country of COP17. Among other initiatives, reference was made to intensifying cooperation within the framework of the Man and the Biosphere Programme.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Robert Abisoghomonyan presented the work carried out recently and the existing achievements aimed at expanding Armenia’s representation in UNESCO’s specialized bodies. Tasks and initiatives in areas representing priorities for Armenia were outlined, including within the framework of the “Education for Peace” vision.

During the meeting, views were exchanged on issues related to the continuous improvement of the Commission’s structural and professional capacity in line with the expanding areas of cooperation with UNESCO.