Uzbekistan to host UNESCO’s 43rd session of the General Conference

UNESCO’s Deputy Director General, Xing Qu, and the Chairperson of the National Commission of Uzbekistan, Gayane Umerova, signed the host country agreement between the Organization and the country, finalizing key legal, technical and logistical arrangements for this important event. The signature ceremony took place in the presence of Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, and Saida Mirziyoyeva, Special Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan.

Alongside the signature ceremony, a series of cultural events were held at UNESCO’s headquarters, highlighting Uzbekistan’s heritage and culture. 

An exhibition “Look Through Time: The Legacy of Khudaibergan Devanov” showed the work of the pioneering Uzbek photographer and filmmaker. Devanov is known for capturing early 20th-century Khiva, a historic city on the ancient trading route the Silk Road. He captured portraits of the people amongst the mosques made of baked mud bricks and majestic fortresses. Itchan Kala, the inner fortress of Khiva, was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Central Asia, inscribed in 1990. 

In addition to the exhibition, the Uzbekistan National Orchestra played the "Sands of Time", composed by the well-known contemporary composer Kirill Richter. The piece is influenced by Asian traditions, poetry, and legends, and was conducted by Alibek Kabdurakhmanov. 

The signing ceremony and cultural events at UNESCO were a fitting introduction to the cultural programme and other activities leading to the 43rd General Conference in Samarkand, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a crossroad for the world’s cultures.

Scheduled for November 2025, the General Conference – UNESCO's main governing body bringing together its 194 Member States – will meet to determine the Organization's vision and general policy.