On the 9th of October this year, the 220th session of the UNESCO Executive Board began its work in Paris. During the event, more than 30 agenda items will be considered, concerning the implementation of decisions and resolutions adopted by the Executive Board and the General Conference at previous sessions, financial, administrative and other issues.

On the 14th of October, during the session of the Executive Board, a two-day traditional meeting of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the member states of this organization opened. The Turkmen side is represented by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to UNESCO Maksat Charyyev and Executive Secretary of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO Chynar Rustamova.

At the plenary session of the meeting, reports were made by the Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Africa and External Relations, Mr. Firmin Edouard Motoko, the Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Cultural Affairs, Mr. Ernesto Ottone, and the Director of the Division of Communications, Cities and Events in the UNESCO Culture Sector, the Division of Coordination of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Ms. Denise Bax. The meeting discussed important issues, including the consideration of the results of the Summit, which pays special attention to multilateral initiatives and decisions, as well as issues of improving the practice of interaction between cities included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

On the first day of the meeting, the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Paris hosted a lunch at the UNESCO headquarters, where permanent representatives, ambassadors to UNESCO and secretaries general of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the TURKSOY member states were invited. The Executive Secretary of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO acquainted those present with the work carried out in Turkmenistan to implement the tasks set during the 10th meeting of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the TURKSOY member states held on the 16th of May this year in Ashgabat. She also put forward a number of proposals on issues of combining the efforts of regional countries to preserve and popularize ancient monuments and include them in the UNESCO lists.

During the meeting, the Turkmen side also held meetings with the Secretary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO Fumika Ohinata and the Head of the Creative Cities Network Ms. Denise Bax, where current issues of interaction were discussed, as well as plans for the coming period.

The meeting demonstrated the desire of the National Commissions for UNESCO to contribute to the ongoing process of implementing UNESCO programs and projects.

Let us remind that the work of the session of the UNESCO Executive Board will continue until 23rd of October this year.