UNESCO Executive Board Adopts “Khiva Process”

On October 20, 2021, the Executive Board of UNESCO, in its 212nd Session, adopted the decision "Khiva process: Promotion of international cooperation in Central Asia", initiated by Uzbekistan.

The document proposes, with the support of UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Sector, and specifically the Silk Roads Programme, to create a new cooperation platform entitled "The Khiva Process". It was launched as a result of the International Cultural Forum "Central Asia at the Crossroads of World Civilizations", organized on September 14-16, 2021, in Khiva at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan H.E Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The resolution welcomes the launch of the Khiva Process and the support of UNESCO in its implementation. It also calls on UNESCO member states and partners to help strengthen cooperation and multilateralism in Central Asia and beyond, within UNESCO’s mandate.

This initiative was supported by a wide range of UNESCO’s Member States including Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Mexico, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.

The Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO, Gabriela Ramos, who led the UNESCO delegation to the forum, welcomed this initiative and reiterated readiness to support in order to fulfill the important goals set by the Khiva process in the coming years.

This milestone document, originating under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, will lay a solid foundation for creating a platform promoting regional cooperation.