The Charter of UNESCO, a specialised organisation of the United Nations in the area of science, education and culture, was signed in London on the 16^th of November 1945, and on the 4^th of November 1946, UNESCO, consisting of 20 member states, became operational. Currently, UNESCO has 193 members and 11 associate members. There are three main bodies of UNESCO: the General Conference, the Executive Council and the Secretariat. Mrs Audrey Azoulay (France) has been the Director-General of UNESCO since the 15^th of November 2017.

After regaining its independence, Azerbaijan became a member of UNESCO on the 3^rd of June 1992. In accordance with the Order dated the 21^st of February 1994 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO was established.

The First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, was awarded the title of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for her continuous efforts in the field of safeguarding and developing the oral and traditional musical heritage of Azerbaijan in September 2004 (2004-2022). 

3 examples of Azerbaijan's tangible cultural heritage, namely, Icheri Sheher, Maiden Tower and Shirvanshahs Palace Complex, are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Later, the Cultural Landscape of Gobustan Rock Art (2007) and Historical Center of Sheki together with Khan’s Palace (2019), Cultural landscape of Khinalig and “Koc Yolu” transhumance Route (2023) and Hirkan Forest (2023) were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

19 examples of intangible cultural heritage of Azerbaijan (“Azerbaijan Mugham” (2008), “Azerbaijan Ashyg Art” (2009), “Novruz” (2009), “Traditional Azerbaijani Carpet Art” (2010), “Tar and its Performing Art” (2012), “Traditional Kelaghai art and symbolism, preparation and use of women`s silk headdresses” (2014), “Lahyj’s art of copper-smelting” (2015), “Culture of making and sharing thin bread: lavash, katrima, jupka, yufka” ( 2016), “Tradition of cooking and sharing dolma as an indicator of cultural identity” (2017), “Making and performing art of kamancha stringed musical instrument” (2017), “Dada Gorgud / Korkyt Ata / Dede Korkut heritage: Epic culture, folk tales and music” (2018), “Miniature Art” (2020) and “Pomegranate Holiday, Traditional Pomegranate Festival and Culture” (2020), Sericulture and traditional production of silk for weaving (2022), Telling Tradition of Nasreddin Anecdotes (2022), Pehlevanliq culture: traditional zorkhana games, sports and wrestling (2022), Pehlevanliq culture: traditional zorkhana games, sports and wrestling are included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

2 heritage samples (“Chovgan Traditional Karabakh Horse Game in the Republic of Azerbaijan” “(2013) and Yally (Kochari, Tanzara), traditional group dance of Nakhchivan” (2018)) was included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

The landscape of “Khudafarin Bridge”, “Azykh and Taghlar caves” were included in the UNESCO’s Tentative List.

Our country`s “Medieval Medical and Pharmaceutical Manuscripts of Azerbaijan” (2005) and “Copy of Fuzuli`s Divan Manuscript” (2017) were included in the UNESCO International Register of World Memory.

The 600^th anniversary of the death of Imadeddin Nasimi (2017), the 300^th anniversary of the birth of Mollah Panah Vagif (2017), the 200^th anniversary of the establishment of German settlements in the South Caucasus (2017), the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Gara Garayev (2018), the 100^th anniversary of the establishment of Baku State University (2019), the 150^th anniversary of the birth of Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev (2020) were celebrated within the framework of the UNESCO programme of anniversaries of prominent personalities and significant events in the last 5 years. Within the framework of the 41^st General Conference of the UNESCO, 200^th anniversary of philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev’s birth and the 100^th anniversary of Fikrat Amirov were included in the jubilees program of UNESCO on 2022-2023 and celebration of these jubilees at an international scale in the level of the UNESCO was approved. During the 42th session of General Conference of UNESCO, the 900^th anniversary of the Azerbaijan prominent architect Ajami Nakhchivani and the 950^th anniversary of Diwan Lughat al-Turk, a compendium of the Turkic dialects were  included in the list of anniversaries that will be celebrated within the framework of UNESCO on 2024-2025.

18 educational institutions operating in our country have joined the UNESCO Associated Schools Network Programme (ASPnet).

Three cities of Azerbaijan - Baku, Gabala joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities on the 21^st of September 2020.

Azerbaijan was elected a member of the UNESCO Executive Board for 2021-2025 in November 2021 having secured the support of the vast majority of members in the elections held during the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference.

Azerbaijan actively cooperates with UNESCO within the framework of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in Event of Armed Conflict. Azerbaijan, which was a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict in 2015-2019, again has been a member of the Committee since 2021.

The seventh International Conference of Ministers and Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sports (MINEPS VII) organized in Baku on June 26-29, 2023.

Two draft resolutions presented by Azerbaijan within the framework of the 215th session of the UNESCO Executive Council held in 2022 – “Preparations of VII International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VII) and implementation of "Fit for Life"” and " The Baku process: promoting intercultural dialogue and social inclusion for sustainable peace and development " were adopted unanimously.

On December 15-17, 2022, the 17th session of UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict was held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. At the opening of the session, the formation of the Bureau was discussed, and by a unanimous decision, Azerbaijan was elected to the position of the deputy chairman of the Committee.

There are three UNESCO departments in Azerbaijan: UNESCO Department of Human Rights and Information Law at Baku State University (2015); UNESCO Chair on “Strengthening the professional development of teachers through ICT-based approach” at the Center for Innovative Technologies and Further Education (2017) and UNESCO Ashyg Shamshir Chair on Folk Music Heritage and Narrative Traditions at the Institute of Folklore of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (2020).

In 2017, by the decision of the General Conference of UNESCO, the city of Sheki was included in the UNESCO Network of Creative Cities on the theme of crafts and folk art, and in 2019, the city of Baku on the theme of design. In 2021, Azerbaijan’s Lankaran city has been added to the UNESCO creative Cities Network list based on the gastronomy category.

UNESCO Clubs have been established in 7 educational institutions operating in our country – ADA University, the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Azerbaijan Technical University, Azerbaijan National Conservatory, as well as Baku European Lyceum and school-lyceum No. 20.

High-level visits

On 4-6 May 2017, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova visited Azerbaijan to participate in the 4^th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue.

On the 18^th of May 2018, the First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, attended and addressed a conference in Paris on the occasion of the 80^th Anniversary of former UNESCO Director-General, Mr Kōichirō Matsuura.

On the 30^th of June to the 2^nd of July 2019, UNESCO Director-General, Mr Audrey Azoulay, visited our country to attend the 41^rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Baku.

On 10 November 2021, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in Paris.

On 9 November 2023, deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Elnur Mammadov has met with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay.

Subsidiaries of UNESCO, of which Azerbaijan is a member

1. Intergovernmental Committee of the Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2019-2023);

2. Intergovernmental Committee on Physical Culture and Sports (CIGEPS) (2019-2023);

3. Intergovernmental Council of the International Program for the Development of Communications (2019-2023)

4. Committee for Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict ((2021-2025)

5. The Subsidiary Committee of the Meeting of States Parties to the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (2023-2027)

6. International coordinationg council of the Man and Biosphere (MAB) (2023-2027)

National committees established in Azerbaijan in various fields of UNESCO

1. ICOM- International Council of Museums;
2. IHP- International Hydrological Programme;
3. MAB- Man and the Biosphere Programme;
4. IBC- International BioethicsCommittee;
5. IFAP - Information For All Programme;
6. Memory of the World Register Programme.

Documents signed between UNESCO and Azerbaijan

1. On the 24^th of November 2010, the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and UNESCO signed an Agreement on the Action Plan for the Japan Trust Fund for Human Resource Development.
2. The “Framework Agreement on Cooperation in Education, Science, Culture and Communication between the Government of Azerbaijan and UNESCO” was signed on the 18^th of July 2013. On the 28^th of January 2020, a Protocol amending the Framework Agreement between Azerbaijan and UNESCO for the next 5 years was signed at UNESCO Headquarters.
3. On the 24^th of January 2014, the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation on the Organisation of the Young Professional Partner (YPP) Programme was signed.

UNESCO Conventions to which the Republic of Azerbaijan is a party

1. The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 14 May 1954 (1993), and the First Protocol (1993) and the Second Protocol (2000);
2. Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of the 16^th of November 1972 (1993);
3. Convention on the Recognition of Courses, Diplomas in Higher Education and Degrees in the European Region of the 21^st of December 1979 (1994);
4. Regional Convention on the Recognition of Courses, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific. 16 December 1983 (1995);
5. World Copyright Convention of the 6^th of September 1952 (1997);
6. Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (1998);
7. Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of the 14^th of November 1970 (1997);
8. Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat. 2 February 1971 (2001);
9. Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms of the 29^th of October 1971 (2001);
10. The 1995 Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (UNIDROIT) (2003);
11. Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the 17th of October 2003 (2006);
12. International Convention against Doping in Sport of the 19th of October 2005 (2007);
13. Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of the 20th of October 2005 (2010);
14. Convention on the International Exchange of Publications of the 3rd of December 1958 (2020).

UNESCO Headquarters

Address: 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France

Tel: +33 1 45 68 10 00

Fax: +33 1 45 67 16 90

Website: www.unesco.org

Permanent Representation of the Republic of Azerbaijan to UNESCO

Address: 1, rue Miollis, 75015 Paris

Tel.: + 33 1 45 68 28 77; + 33 1 45 68 28 78

E-mail: unesco@mission.mfa.gov.az

National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for UNESCO

Address: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan,

Baku city AZ-1009, 50, Sh. Gurbanov Street

Tel: + (99412) 596 93 22

E-mail: unesco@mfa.gov.az

Website: www.unesco.az