From April 2 to 17, 2025, the 221st session of the UNESCO Executive Board was held at the Organization’s headquarters in Paris, with active participation of the Kazakh delegation, DKnews.kz reports.
Speaking at the plenary meeting, the Permanent Delegate of Kazakhstan to UNESCO, Askar Abdrakhmanov, informed participants about the recent speech by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the National Kurultai, in which the importance of continued cooperation with the intergovernmental organization in the protection of Kazakhstan’s natural and cultural heritage – including its documentary heritage – was emphasized. In this context, the Ambassador expressed gratitude to UNESCO for organizing a training seminar in October 2024 to familiarize Kazakh archivists with key aspects of the Memory of the World programme. He also stressed the importance of joint efforts to strengthen the central role of National Commissions for UNESCO within the Organization’s framework.
On the sidelines of the session, a separate meeting of the National Commissions for UNESCO Member States took place, where the Secretary-General of the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ICESCO, Zhanar Shaimenova, delivered remarks. Among the items on the agenda were the presentation of UNESCO’s Education for Peace initiative and preparations for the upcoming World Conference on Cultural Policy and Sustainable Development Mondiacult 2025. President of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Bolat Akchulakov, remotely presented the outcomes of the first Global Youth Forum of UNESCO Clubs and Associations, which took place on February 19-20 in Almaty.
One of the most significant milestones for Kazakhstan during the 221st session of the UNESCO Executive Board was the inscription of the manuscript Chronicle of Khans from the collections of the Gylym Ordasy library into the Memory of the World international register. Created in the 18th century in the Turkic language known as Chagatai, by an anonymous author, the document reflects traditional concepts of the genealogy of prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran, rulers of various states, as well as biographical data, historical events, and the geography of the Kazakh Steppe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The Chronicle of Khans is a valuable cultural asset and an important source for scholars studying the history and languages of the Kazakhs and other nations.
Additionally, Kazakhstan co-authored several UNESCO Executive Board decisions during the session, covering issues such as interactive platforms for enhancing dialogue among teachers worldwide, the UNESCO Global Coalition Against Racism and Discrimination, support for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals within the Organization's mandate, small islands and developing states and others.
Kazakhstan has been a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since May 22, 1992. The country is a party to 16 UNESCO international conventions. Kazakhstan has 6 inscriptions on the World Heritage List, 14 elements on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 15 UNESCO biosphere reserves, and 25 anniversaries included in UNESCO’s commemorative calendar. Under the coordination of the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ICESCO, the country hosts 9 national committees in specialized fields, 6 UNESCO Chairs and 1 UNITWIN network, 20 UNESCO Associated Schools, and 212 Clubs for UNESCO.
The Memory of the World Programme, established by UNESCO in 1992, aims to prevent the irreversible loss of documentary heritage – documents or collections of significant and lasting value, whether in paper, audiovisual, digital, or other formats. The Programme seeks both to preserve this heritage and to make it more accessible to the public, including through the creation of documentary heritage registers at the international, regional, and national levels. As of 2025, the following items from Kazakhstan have been included in the Memory of the World international register: the collection of manuscripts of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi (2003), audiovisual documents of the international anti-nuclear movement “Nevada - Semipalatinsk” (2005), Aral Sea archival fonds (2011), and manuscript “Chronicle of Khans” (2025).
