ARMENIA GIVES HIGH PRIORITY TO THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL VALUES, WHICH ARE NOT "MINE" OR "YOURS" BUT "OURS

armradio.am
08.10.2009 10:59

On October 7 the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian,
made a speech at the 35th session of UNESCO General Conference.

"Distinguished Mr. President, Distinguished Director General,
Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to congratulate Ms. Irina Bokova, on her
upcoming election as Director-General of UNESCO. I am confident, that
with her leadership this distinguished forum will make a remarkable
step forward in achieving major goals of this Organization.

I am also honored to express my sincere thanks to H.E. Koichiro
Matsuura, the outgoing Director General, for his dedicated work for
the last 1o years.

Mr. President, Since the first day of its membership to this
Organization, Armenia’s policy in cooperation with UNESCO has pursued
the goal of benefiting from its tremendous capacity, and adding
value through contribution by its own cultural values, scientific
and educational potential in the achievement of UNESCO’s noble goals.

We welcome the policy of the Organization in the context of the
overall UN reform, to bring its offices close to the regions it deals
with and become a more active member of the UN country team in the
implementation of "One-UN" concept. The conclusion of the UNESCO
Co untry Programming Document of Cooperation between UNESCO and the
Republic of Armenia in March 2008 provides with ample opportunities
to extend its activities in Armenia by developing inter-sectoral
country programs linked with and complementary to the United Nations
Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).

Mr. President, Armenia has developed vast cooperation with UNESCO
in all areas of its interest implementing multiple programs and
initiatives. Just to name a few, within the "Education for All"
program, we hosted this September a Regional Conference on "Enhancement
of quality of Education and Curriculum Development." This November, the
Armenian National Commission together with the Ministry of Culture is
organizing under the auspices of UNESCO a regional conference entitled
"Cultural Policy and Policy for Culture."

The inclusion of the 800th anniversary of the world renowned manuscript
illuminator Toros Roslin, and 1600th anniversary of the founder of
the Armenian historiography Movses Khorenatsi in the UNESCO list
of anniversaries for 2010-2011 would allow us to pay tribute to the
work and memory of these exceptional figures that left an inerasable
footprint in the minds and history of mankind.

Mr. President, Armenia is a country rich with cultural monuments
dating back to 4th millennium BC. As of today there are nearly 33 000
historical and cultural monuments in Armenia under state protection,
included i n the State Register of National Heritage.

For centuries, the Armenian people have erected numerous and diverse
cultural monuments most of which, due to known historical events,
are currently located outside the borders of the present-day Republic
of Armenia. Armenia’s neighbors have displayed different approaches
towards the question of the preservation of Armenian historical
heritage.

There is an excellent cooperation with the Is¬lamic Republic of Iran
(IRI) that takes proper care of the Armenian monuments situated in
its territory.

The living proof of the aforementioned is the inclusion of
St. Thaddaeus Monastery in the World Heritage List by the suggestion
of Iran.

In the recent years the 17th-century Persian mosque erected in Yerevan
has been restored in cooperation with the Iranian specialists, and
has become functioning.

Unfortunately, this positive experience is not reciprocated by our
other neighbors. As a result of the policy of destruction of the
Armenian historical heritage, thousands of cultural monuments that
were of universal value, have been lost forever.

Mr. President, In an era when the protection and promotion of
human rights is considered to be the underpinning concept for a
civilized nation, damaging or destroying cultural or religious memory
intentionally, consistently, repeatedly, must be condemned with the
same resolve and determination as violence aimed against people.

Unfortunately, with Azerbaijan, efforts to do away with Armenian
heritage go on unabated despite the continuous alarm rang by Armenia.

A painful proof of the monument demolition that has been in process
for years, is the annihilation of the centuries-old Jugha (Julfa)
Cemetery in Nakhichevan with its tens of thousands of delicately
carved, unique cross-stones dating from the 9th to the 16th centuries,
that bore to the talent and the artistic skill of the masters of Jugha.

There was no war in the years between 1998 and 2005 when thousands of
these giant sculptures were knocked over, piled onto railroad cars and
carted away under the Azerbaijani government’s watchful eyes. In 2005,
this enormous cultural gem was bulldozed down, leveled and turned into
a military training ground in a government-sanctioned operation. As
regretfully stated in the 16th ICOMOS General Assembly resolution:
"this heritage that once enjoyed its worthy place among the treasures
of the world’s heritage can no longer be transmitted today to future
generations."

There was no war also in 1975, when a 7th century Armenian church was
completely demolished in the center of Nakhichevan, for no reason
other than to wipe out the memory of the Armenians who constituted
a majority there just decades earlier.

Mr. President,

Armenia gives high priority to the protection of cultural values which
are not "mine" or "yours" but "ours" — those cultural values20that are
truly universal and shared, those that are worthy not just of national
attention but international. Armenia’s commitment to protection and
promotion of human rights and cultural diversity is very real. Both
cultural diversity and the protection of monuments are especially
significant for nations which have monuments beyond national borders,
¬ indeed in countries around the world and particularly in our
neighborhood. Doomed from its very beginning, the annihilation of the
civilization of any people is incompatible with and unallowable for
any country aspiring to membership in such international organizations,
as UNESCO.

We do believe that this organization, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, would be able to stand up to
the challenge of unabated violation of cultural rights and thus bring
its contribution to enhancing intercultural dialogue and tolerance
all over the world."