Statement of chaired by Azerbaijan Non-Aligned Movement/UNESCO – Paris Chapter was delivered during UNESCO Executive Board

Within the framework of the 214^th session of the UNESCO Executive Board, the Permanent Delegate of Azerbaijan to UNESCO Elman Abdullayev delivered the Statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement/UNESCO – Paris Chapter.

The full Statement is presented below:

STATEMENT TO BE DELIVERED BY THE PERMANENT DELEGATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN, ON BEHALF OF THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT AT THE 214^th SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF UNESCO

Madame Chair of the Executive Board,

Mr. President of the General Conference,

Madame Director General of UNESCO,

Distinguished delegates,

It is a great honor for the Republic of Azerbaijan, in its capacity as the Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, to deliver this Statement at the 214^th Session of the Executive Board.

Non-Aligned Movement is genuine example of multilateral cooperation and acts as an initiator of events of global importance including the resolution “Ensuring equitable, affordable, timely and universal access for all countries to vaccines in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic” adopted at the 76^th session of UN General Assembly, upon the initiative of Azerbaijan on behalf of the NAM and with the support of 179 countries.

NAM welcomes UNESCO's efforts to eliminate the negative impacts of COVID-19 on its areas of mandate.

NAM appreciates activities by UNESCO and its Global Education Coalition partners and also welcomes the attention paid to gender equality, through the Gender Flagship of the GEC, in particular the campaign that was implemented in several countries in Africa and South-East Asia.

Madame Chair,

NAM calls on UNESCO to continue its global priorities of Africa and Gender Equality and to give a priority approach to Small Island Developing States.

NAM reiterates its condemnation of all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, unilateral coercive measures and any kind of related intolerance, which constitute serious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

NAM Member States express their serious concern over the problem of non-implementation of provisions of the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Properties by UN Member States and urge UNESCO’s Secretariat to join their Voices to denounce vigorously these illegal crimes against national heritage and identities of the States in accordance with the Conventions, mainly 1970 UNESCO Convention and UN Security Council Resolutions.

NAM expresses its concern on still existing challenges in education for girls around the world, and recalls UNESCO's Commitment to girl’s education and the achievement of gender equality in and through education.

NAM calls on the international community to remind Israel of its obligations under international law including UNESCO conventions. NAM reiterates its call for the realization of justice and the inalienable rights, including educational and cultural rights, in the Occupied Arab Territories as well as legitimate national aspirations of the Palestinian people in their sovereign and independent State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

NAM is going to increase its coordination within UNESCO and expand its further activities on different areas in line with the Organization’s mandate.

Thank you.