Global delegates gather in Samarkand as Uzbekistan outlines reforms

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Global delegates gather in Samarkand as Uzbekistan outlines reforms  Samarkand hosted UNESCO’s 43rd General Conference outside Paris for the first time in forty years. The gathering showcased global debates on education, culture and technology, and underscored Uzbekistan’s reform priorities.  In partnership with Agency of Information and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/11/07/global-delegates-gather-in-samarkand-as-uzbekistan-outlines-reforms  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00For the first time in 40 years,

00:28UNESCO brought its General Conference outside Paris and for the first time ever to Central Asia.

00:34Nearly 4,500 participants from around 190 countries and more than 500 media representatives

00:42gathered in Samarkand turning the historic Silk Road city into a global center of cultural and policy debate.

00:49Samarkand's symbolism was central, a crossroads of civilizations where observatories,

00:55manuscripts and academies once set standards for the wider world.

01:00I'm really honored and privileged to be here and to see at least a part of this beautiful and

01:05historic place of Samarkand. I think it's a great experience and I hope that will

01:09remain so in the future, not only for Uzbekistan but for the other countries as well.

01:14For Uzbekistan, hosting was both symbolic and strategic,

01:18a chance to show how heritage and reform can shape global conversation.

01:23Here in Samarkand, the conversation turned to how culture can still connect nations today.

01:28This city, shared by centuries of learning, offered a reminder that education and identity are

01:34inseparable, that investing in culture means investing in people. The discussions here

01:39carried that message forward that peace begins with knowledge, and knowledge also begins with

01:45respect for one another's heritage. Uzbekistan set out a PACT agenda, a UNESCO platform for

01:51inclusive education, a pilot school of artificial intelligence, a global forum on AI ethics,

01:58an international institute for digital heritage, a UNESCO academy on women's leadership, an ecological

02:04capital label for cities, and a comprehensive media literacy strategy for young people.

02:10The foundation's principles lay exactly in UNESCO's principles. It was very important for us to put

02:17Uzbekistan at the forefront of all of this initiative, especially as it was supported by our president and

02:22it was his initiative to bring the whole world and UNESCO conference here. We can see that Uzbekistan is

02:27everywhere now, the whole world is here. UNESCO leaders called the choice of Samarkand a strategic one.

02:33We are here to discuss the main issues of the world regarding UNESCO's mandate, to prepare the future

02:42of UNESCO's mandate and to do it under the auspices of Uzbekistan in this region regarding its history,

02:49its geography, also the role it plays today in geopolitics is extremely satisfactory for us.

02:57This session also adopted new norms on AI and neurotechnology ethics,

03:02and advanced programs for early childhood learning and museum innovation.

03:07This general conference is both a symbol and a proof of the value of multilateral action.

03:13It's not every day that 194 member states come together. Nobody can act alone.

03:19UNESCO's work is an ongoing work, but what we expect is to recalibrate it and programs to meet

03:28the challenges of the present day. For Central Asia hosting was the original milestone with joint

03:35heritage nominations and cultural cooperation on display. Kazakhstan supports Uzbekistan's

03:41leadership in the general conference. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have a number of joint nominations,

03:47both in the World Heritage Program and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Program,

03:53because indeed we share the same culture, we have the same roots. Member states aligned national priorities

03:59with global goals from early childhood access to digital safety. I think it's very important that we

04:06are gathered here in UNESCO now. We are finding common ground in addressing important issues like education

04:14for all and especially for girls who have not been able to get education and also the importance of culture

04:23and the media's freedom is so important in these demanding times. For others, Samarkand was also

04:29a diplomatic platform to link heritage with modern challenges. For us, it's a high priority, first of all,

04:36to take care of our culture and cultural heritage and to promote cooperation in the field of education.

04:44As resolutions from Samarkand and UNESCO's work cycle, attention now turns to delivery,

04:50translating commitments into curricula, cultural programs and city standards across the world.

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