― 15 марта 2024 г.

TURKSOY Secretary General Raev presented a paper at the conference on the "Study and Preservation of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Turkic World from the Perspective of UNESCO"

In the panel held at the conference on  the “Study and Preservation of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Turkic World from the Perspective of UNESCO”, TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev presented a paper  entitled "Collaboration among Turkic Cooperation Organisations for the Protection, Documentation and Promotion of Cultural Heritage".

The panel chaired by Prof. Dr. Aktoty Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation and featured speeches by the President of the Turkish Historical Society, representatives of institutions and organisations such as the Turkish Language Society, the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency TIKA, as well as experts.

In the speech he delivered at the conference, Secretary General Raev stressed that “as the children of the great Turkic World, which has been the cradle of civilisations throughout history, we have a great responsibility to protect, document and promote the rich cultural and historical heritage we inherited from our ancestors”.

Noting that our cultural heritage is not only a relic of the past, but also a proof of the resilience, creativity and unity in diversity of our peoples, Mr. Raev further said that our cultural heritage consisting of our unique music and dances, architectural wonders, delicious food and traditional sports is an essential component of our identity which gives meaning to our existence.  Mr. Raev also stressed that: "The adoption of the TURKTIME strategic concept by the Heads of State of the Turkic World at the CIS Astana Summit last November is a tremendous development that heralds a new era for us. While the ties between our states have developed very rapidly in recent years, our duty is to strengthen people-to-people dialogue and mutual understanding in the Turkic World by making the most effective use of the unifying power of our culture, which serves as a golden bridge between our societies in this process. We should not forget that culture is the building block and source of inspiration for the integration of the Turkic World. Each and every member of the Turkic World has an important responsibility to turn this century, which is full of opportunities for us, into an era of Turkic cultural enlightenment."

Noting that due to various impediments such as the lack of necessary funding and personnel and geographical location constraints, it is not possible for a single government or cooperation organisation to overcome the various challenges faced in preserving our cultural treasure and heritage, Secretary General  Raev said: "Hence, we need to remember that the preservation and promotion of our cultural heritage is the responsibility of each of us, not only governments or specific organisations. In order to overcome these challenges, all Turkic cooperation organisations, member states and all relevant stakeholders need to act in line with a common vision and purpose. In this process, UNESCO principles and standards will guide our organisations i which act with the awareness that this heritage does not belong to us alone and has an invaluable value for all humanity. However, in order to effectively implement this guidance, our Turkic cooperation organisations, which were established to serve basically the same purpose will have to work in closer cooperation and coordination with eachother."

Referring to  activities carried out by TURKSOY for the protection of our tangible and intangible cultural heritage, Secretary General Raev said: "As a first step for the coordinated protection of our cultural heritage, it is of great importance to establish a Committee for the  Protection of Cultural Heritage composed of representatives of the three Turkic cooperation organisations   and to create a list of items of our tangible and intangible cultural heritage which  need to be preserved and protected in the first place. I am confident that the committee to be established will do a great job by acting in the light of UNESCO's mission and methods while preparing this list. Unfortunately, we still have some way to go in terms of the  protection of our cultural heritage. That is to say, if we want to succeed therein we must not only work in close cooperation with eachother but also  proceed in a methodical manner  and  begin with the setting-up of  a list of items of our cultural heritage to be preserved and protected."