The conference held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on the theme “Islamic Civilization: The Great Spiritual and Scientific Heritage of Movarounnahr and Horizons of Enlightenment” marked a new stage in promoting the contribution of Central Asian scholars to the development of world civilization. This event is a practical implementation of the initiatives put forward by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the UN General Assembly regarding the presentation of the heritage of great thinkers such as Imam Bukhari, Imam Tirmidhi, and Imam Maturidi on leading international platforms. The event was organized in partnership with the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, the Permanent Delegation of our country to UNESCO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), WOSCU, and a number of prestigious research centers.
Speaking at the conference, President of the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference Hongker M. Talxa and Chairman of the UNESCO Executive Board Dr. Nasser bin Hamad Al-Hinzab highly praised Uzbekistan's efforts in promoting tolerance and cultural dialogue. In his speech, Hongker M. Talxa noted that the spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation forms the basis of UNESCO's activities and expressed gratitude to the Government of Uzbekistan for this important event, which is a continuation of the international initiative put forward at the UN. Furthermore, ISESCO Director-General Dr. Salim Al-Malik, Director of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Dr. Farhan Nizami, IRCICA Director-General Professor Mahmud Erol Kilic, and other foreign experts emphasized that the Center's activities make a significant contribution to global cultural and educational dialogue.
The presentation of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, held as the central event of the conference, left a great impression on the participants. The Center's exposition covers more than 3,000 years of historical processes — from ancient cultures through the First and Second Renaissance to the New Uzbekistan. During the event, special attention was paid to the issues of preserving rare ancient manuscripts, safeguarding historical artifacts, using artificial intelligence and digitalization solutions in expositions, and implementing joint projects with foreign research centers and museums.
The scientific program of the conference was divided into three thematic sessions, where issues of Central Asia's intellectual heritage and the development of academic exchanges were discussed. The event concluded with a gala reception at UNESCO Headquarters. UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany personally attended the conference, acknowledging the high global status and significance of the event.
