Mehriban Aliyeva designated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Oral and Musical Traditions
09-09-2004 4:00 pm The Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura has designated the First Lady of Azerbaijan, Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Oral and Musical Traditions “in recognition of her personal commitment to the promotion of culture in Azerbaijan”. The nomination ceremony was held on 9 September 2004 at UNESCO Headquarters in the presence of His Excellency Mr Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. “…Promotion of musical education and the training of the future generation have always been at the centre of Mrs Aliyeva’s interests. I highly appreciate her initiative to organize charity concerts in honour of leading figures of the national arts who have made invaluable contributions to Azerbaijan culture”, said the Director-General in his address during the nomination ceremony.
Since 1995, Mrs Aliyeva is the head of the non-governmental foundation The Friends of Azabaijan Culture, dedicated to the promotion of culture in Azerbaijan. The funds provided by this Foundation help to support the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of Azerbaijan and to promote its oral and musical traditions, on the national as well as the international level.
“… The ancient mugam, unique ashung arts and unrepeatable melodies of our national musical instruments are just pieces of that non-physical inheritance that we have kept to this day and have to keep for the future’s sake. This is the aim of the Friends of Azerbaijan Culture and will be the aim of my personal actions as Goodwill Ambassador as well”, said Mrs Aliyeva in her keynote address. UNESCO declared the traditional music of Azerbaijan, the Mugham, a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity during the 32th session of the General Conference in October 2003.
“…Promotion of musical education and the training of the future generation have always been at the centre of Mrs Aliyeva’s interests. I highly appreciate her initiative to organize charity concerts in honour of leading figures of the national arts who have made invaluable contributions to Azerbaijan culture”, said the Director-General in his address during the nomination ceremony.
