Latest news with #UNESCOGeneralConference
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Malaysia vies for UNESCO executive board seat in final nomination phase
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is nearing the final phase of its bid for a seat on the UNESCO Executive Board, with the official announcement set for the UNESCO General Conference in Paris this November. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek confirmed the country's active campaign, emphasizing the need for strong backing from member states. 'Several rounds have already taken place, particularly during the early campaign phase, and we are now in the final round. God willing, in November, we will conclude our final tasks before the decision is announced,' she said at the Cicipan Kebaya event organised by the Malaysian National Commission for UNESCO (SKUM). Fadhlina, who also serves as SKUM president, highlighted that the event was part of Malaysia's broader campaign, coinciding with UNESCO's recognition of the kebaya as an Intangible Cultural Heritage last December. Further promotional efforts included a visit to Kilim Geoforest Park in Langkawi during the ASEAN Education Ministers' Meeting in June. 'Kilim is the first geopark in Malaysia to receive UNESCO recognition, and the visit showcased our commitment to environmental conservation,' said Fadzilah Fadzil, secretary of the Ministry of Education's Strategic Planning and International Relations Division. The campaign has also been advanced through Malaysia's Permanent Mission to UNESCO in Paris, with five receptions held so far. 'We explained Malaysia's vision and how we can contribute to UNESCO's global agenda, particularly in education, heritage, and sustainability,' Fadzilah added. - Bernama
Scroll.in
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Why newly-independent India barred an official from accepting a Cuban honour
In June 1948, Ashfaque Husain, a senior bureaucrat in India's Ministry of Education, received an unexpected letter from Havana: he was being awarded a state honour by the Cuban government. 'I have the honour to inform you that the National Council of the Order of Merit 'Carlos Manuel de Céspedes' has, by a decree dated 18th April, been pleased to confer on you...,' Cuban Under Secretary of State Augel Solanos wrote in the letter. The Cuban official asked Husain to accept the honour by filling out a printed form sent with the letter. 'In congratulating you on the well earned distinction conferred on you, I avail myself of the opportunity to offer you the assurances of my high consideration,' he wrote in bureaucratese. For Havana, the award carried immense importance. It was named after Cuba's most revered figure, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes del Castillo – the revolutionary who, in 1868, made the first declaration of Cuban independence from Spain. At the time Husain received the letter, India – freed from British rule just months earlier – did not even have formal diplomatic relations with Cuba. But what it did have was Cuba's gratitude. At a session of the UNESCO General Conference in Mexico City in November 1947, India had supported establishing the organisation's regional office in Havana. And leading the Indian delegation at the session was none other than the director of education, Husain. Translation time The letter to Husain was written in Spanish, a language he did not understand, but he managed to get its gist. Unsure of how to react, he forwarded it to the Ministries of Home and External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations for advice. 'I may, perhaps, explain that this is not a personal honour for me but as a token of friendliness which the Government of Cuba apparently desires to extend towards the Government of India in recognition of the help which they received at the last General Conference of UNESCO in securing the establishment of the regional centre of UNESCO in Havana,' Husain wrote. He added, 'It is as such that I welcome the distinction.' Since almost no Indian government official at the time knew even basic Spanish, the Cuban missive got stuck in the Indian bureaucratic labyrinth. The External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations Ministry first asked the Defence Ministry's General Staff Branch to translate the letter. In reply, Lt Col KR Menon wrote: 'There are no facilities for translation of documents for this section. Our translation section translates English pamphlets into Roman Hindustani and the limited staff is working overtime on the translation of the much-needed pamphlets.' Menon suggested the letter be sent to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for translation, but its officials were not even sure if the Cuban communication was in Spanish or Portuguese. They recommended a Mr Banerjee, who worked as the Russian Production Officer at the ministry and knew Spanish. 'Incidentally, we suggested several months ago the setting up of a translation bureau as part of our Russian section,' wrote S Sinha, director of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's Publications Division. 'We do not know if that proposal was ever pursued and, if so, with what results.' He added, 'It is a pity that urgent government documents have to be sent from door to door in the hope of finding someone to translate them instead of having a full-fledged section for this purpose.' As it happened, the in-demand Mr Banerjee was on leave. A few more weeks passed before he returned to New Delhi and translated the three pages that included the letter and the form of acceptance. In all, it took the Indian government six months to fully understand the contents of the letter. Rigid policy Not that the effort helped. Recently freed from foreign domination, India was not keen on accepting awards from other nations, even those that had nothing to do with the colonisation of the subcontinent. Around the time Husain was offered an honour by Cuba, a private citizen named AF Mody, who was secretary at the Danish Consulate in Bombay, received a similar offer from Denmark. Mody too approached the Ministry of External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations for advice. His case appears in the ministry's internal communication. 'The bestowal of honours and awards in India, save in the case of recognition of gallantry, having been discontinued, it would seem doubtful whether in the case under consideration it would be in order to agree to Mr. Mody receiving a foreign medal, that is to say, the Danish Liberty Medal, even though it is for services rendered during the war,' T J Natarajan, a senior official at the ministry, said in a note to Foreign Secretary KPS Menon. 'Such awards, in the absence of any comparable awards in India would, it is feared, create a craving for foreign insignia.' A note signed by Menon and two other senior officials agreed with Natarajan's comments: the government was 'averse to the grant of a medal to an Indian national by a foreign state'. Nevertheless, it was 'deeply appreciative of the sentiments' behind the Danish offer. With such a rigid policy around foreign honours, even for private citizens, there was little chance Husain would be allowed to receive the Cuban award. 'The assistance given by Mr. Ashfaque Husain to the Cuban Government was just a performance of his official duties and as such no award or distinction from the Cuban Government is necessary in lieu in discharge of such duties,' Natarajan said in a note. 'There have been instances in the past when the Foreign Government's requests to confer on officials of the Govt of India distinctions or awards for the meritorious services rendered by them in the capacity of their official duties were refused as our regulations on the acceptance of such awards are very rigid.' Husain was asked to turn down the award and 'explain his suitable terms'. It is possible that the Cuban authorities were displeased by India's refusal, but if it caused any damage to the bilateral relations, there is no public record to suggest it. After the Cuban Revolution in January 1959 and Ernesto Guevara's visit to India, each country opened an embassy in the other's capital. Their relations have remained warm ever since. It is unclear when India changed its policy towards government officials and private citizens accepting foreign awards, but the fears of independent India's first bureaucrats about a 'craving for foreign insignia' resonate more clearly nearly eight decades later.
Al Etihad
22-04-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Uzbekistan eyes UAE collaboration at upcoming UNESCO Conference: Ambassador
22 Apr 2025 12:31 ABU DHABI (WAM) Abdulaziz Akkulov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the UAE, said that ties between the UAE and Uzbekistan have seen rapid development in recent years, marked by strong cooperation in international organisations and joint preparations to host the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand later this remarks came during a dialogue session held on Monday at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, which focused on Uzbekistan's contributions to UNESCO initiatives and efforts to align with the UAE in advancing sustainable development session was attended by Director-General of the Academy, Nickolay Mladenov, along with senior officials from both ambassador said that the strategic partnership was formalised during the visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan to the UAE in January 2025.'Uzbekistan and the UAE enjoy dynamic and mutually enriching cooperation in the cultural sphere, marked by a shared commitment to preserving heritage and fostering intercultural dialogue,' he ambassador also praised Uzbekistan's annual participation in the Sheikh Zayed Festival, where it showcases traditional arts and crafts through its national highlighted that leading museums in both countries are working together on joint exhibitions and professional exchanges. In March, Uzbekistan became the ninth member of ALIPH – the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas – a step he said reinforces joint efforts to safeguard cultural welcomed the launch of ALIPH's regional call for projects in April 2025 to protect Central Asia's heritage from climate threats, underscoring the active role of both Uzbekistan and the UAE in these also said that Uzbekistan is preparing to host the Second Summit of the Central Asian Countries and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, scheduled for May 5 in Samarkand. He noted that Samarkand, one of the world's oldest cities, has become a prominent international hub for conferences, tourism, and business, having hosted events such as the SCO Heads of State Summit (2022), the 25th Session of the UN World Tourism Organisation General Assembly (2023) and the Central Asia–EU Summit (2025).
Globe and Mail
02-04-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Abdulwahab's Office becomes official partner for UNESCO World Engineering Day 2025 campaign
Abdulwahab's Office, as a leader in wealth management, has been selected as an official partner for UNESCO World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (WED) 2025, which was launched at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 4 March 2025. London, UK - 2 Apr, 2025 - An International Day proclaimed by the UNESCO General Conference and open to everyone, WED is jointly operated by UNESCO and the World Federation for Engineering Organisations (WFEO), which spans some 100 countries and represents more than 30 million engineers. The launch in Paris marks the start of a year-long campaign of events, films and related articles and news, highlighting the achievements of engineers and engineering around the world, and promoting engineering as a career. Produced by the SJH Group – the official media partner and broadcaster for WED – all campaign content, which includes a multimedia hub dedicated to Abdulwahab's Office, is hosted on the WED website at As an official partner, Abdulwahab's Office's insights and expertise will form an integral part of the 12-month campaign, which provides a springboard for governments, UN-associated organisations, policymakers, educators and leaders in the public and private sectors to raise awareness of the importance of engineering. The WED campaign has an estimated global reach of more than 100 million individuals, and this year's theme of 'Shaping our sustainable future through engineering' focuses on the essential role that engineering has to play in achieving the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Abdulwahab Al Maimani, Chairman, says: 'At Abdulwahab's Office, we recognise that engineering is at the heart of sustainable progress. As an official partner for UNESCO World Engineering Day 2025, we are honoured to contribute our insights and expertise to this global campaign. This collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation and sustainable development, aligning with our mission to create lasting impact. Engineering plays a pivotal role in shaping a more resilient and sustainable future, and we are proud to support initiatives that inspire the next generation of engineers and leaders worldwide.' Addressing the significance of WED, Mustafa Shehu, President of the WFEO, says: 'World Engineering Day 2025 is all about putting engineering in the global spotlight, showing how engineers are leading the way in the effort to meet the UN's Sustainable Development Goal targets, and inspiring the next generation to find out more about what a career in engineering has to offer.' Jacques de Mereuil, Executive Director of the WFEO, says: 'We're thrilled to be involved in launching this important international celebration and campaign at UNESCO's global headquarters in Paris, and delighted to have Abdulwahab's Office involved, as an authority in wealth management.' To view Abdulwahab's Office's WED content, go to Notes to editor: The WED 2025 launch, campaign and related content will go live from 4 March 2025 at For further information about WED 2025 please email publishing@ For further information about Abdulwahab's Office please email communication@ Media Contact Company Name: St James's House Contact Person: Media Relations Email: Send Email Country: United Kingdom Website:
Associated Press
22-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Torishima joins UNESCO World Engineering Day 2025 campaign
Torishima, as a leading voice in water pump technology, has been selected as an official partner for UNESCO World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (WED) 2025, which was launched at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 4 March 2025. London, UK - 21 March, 2025 - An International Day proclaimed by UNESCO General Conference and open to everyone, WED is jointly operated by UNESCO and the World Federation for Engineering Organisations (WFEO), which spans some 100 countries and represents more than 30 million engineers. The launch in Paris marks the start of a year-long campaign of events, films and related articles and news, highlighting the achievements of engineers and engineering around the world, and promoting engineering as a career. Produced by the SJH Group – the official media partner and broadcaster for WED – all campaign content, which includes a multimedia hub dedicated to Torishima, is hosted on the WED website at . As an official partner, Torishima's insights and expertise will form an integral part of the 12-month campaign, which provides a springboard for governments, UN-associated organisations, policymakers, educators and leaders in the public and private sectors to raise awareness of the importance of engineering. The WED campaign has an estimated global reach of more than 100 million individuals, and this year's theme of 'Shaping our sustainable future through engineering' focuses on the essential role that engineering has to play in achieving the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Gerry Ashe, Director and Deputy CEO of Torishima, says: 'Water is an essential resource for life and the sustainability of the planet. At Torishima, our pumping technology enables efficient water management at every stage of the cycle, from catchment to purification and supply. Contributing to SDG 6 is part of our identity and commitment to society. We are proud to join in the celebration of World Engineering Day, highlighting the crucial role of engineering in solving the world's water challenges.' Addressing the significance of WED, Mustafa Shehu, President of the WFEO, says: 'World Engineering Day 2025 is all about putting engineering in the global spotlight, showing how engineers are leading the way in the effort to meet the UN's Sustainable Development Goal targets, and inspiring the next generation to find out more about what a career in engineering has to offer.' Jacques de Mereuil, Executive Director of the WFEO, says: 'We're thrilled to be involved in launching this important international celebration and campaign at UNESCO's global headquarters in Paris, and delighted to have Torishima involved, as an authority in water pump technology.' To view Torishima's WED content, go to . Notes to editor:The WED 2025 launch, campaign and related content went live on 4 March 2025 at . For further information about WED 2025, please email [email protected] . For further information about Torishima, please email [email protected] Media Contact Company Name: St James's House Contact Person: Media Relations Email: Send Email Country: United Kingdom Website: Source: Presswire
