Armenia calls upon the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to create within its educational programs an overview mechanism that will examine and evaluate the textbooks of the member-states, especially in history and social sciences, with a special emphasis on exclusion of intolerance and xenophobia.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, on Friday noted the aforementioned in his address at the 38th session of the UNESCO General Conference, which has kicked off in Paris.

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education stipulate that education shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups. Taking into consideration UNESCO’s unique role in the sphere of education, we call upon the Organization to create within its educational programs an overview mechanism that will examine and evaluate the textbooks of the member-states, especially in history and social sciences, with a special emphasis on exclusion of intolerance and xenophobia. Azerbaijan attempts to distort and alter the centuries old Armenian heritage, culture and history. In this country the rewriting of its own history is continued by means of misappropriation or annihilation of the traces of other cultures on their territory, or even more, by privatizing the cultural heritage of the neighboring nations. A country that appeared on the political map of the world less than a hundred years ago has cultural claims towards a country and a people the several millenniums’ history of which is recorded from the ancient times.

“As a member of the UNESCO family we have committed to developing more inclusive education system, proscribe any form of discrimination, promote equal opportunities for all in education. In this regard I would like to highlight the importance of not leaving anyone outside of the educational programs and projects of UNESCO, including those living in the territories the political status of which is not determined pending the settlement within negotiation processes. UNESCO has to ensure the inclusiveness of its own endeavors without distinction to political, economic, social or other considerations,” the Armenian foreign minister noted, in particular.