Irina Bokova

On May 4, 2009, an international conference entitled “Protection of Cultural Heritage and the Promotion of Cultural Diversity – a Response to Globalization” was held in the Boyana government residence under the auspices and in the presence of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr Georgi Parvanov.

The conference, which was opened by the Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to UNESCO, Ambassador Irina Bokova, was organised by the Permanent Delegation of Bulgaria to UNESCO, the National Commission for UNESCO, and the Ministry of Culture.

In her address to the conference, Ambassador Bokova stated that in the conditions of a financial and economic crisis, important components of the human mind and spirit like education and culture should not be neglected. The budgets for education should not be cut down, because it is precisely education that is part of the response to this crisis.

More than 60 ambassadors from 44 UNESCO member-states took part in the forum, as well as presidents and secretaries general of national commissions to UNESCO, state secretaries and ministers. Among the delegates to the conference were the President of the 32nd UNESCO General Conference, Mr Michael Omolewa, the President of the 33rd UNESCO General Conference and until recently Permanent Representative of Oman, Dr. Musa Bin Jaafar Bin Hassan, two presidents of the Executive Board of UNESCO, the Permanent Representative of Honduras, Ambassador Mrs Sonia Mendieta de Badaroux, and the Permanent Representative of Morocco, Ambassador Aziza Bennani.

The conference was addressed by the Minister of Education of Sri Lanka, Mr Susil Premajayantha, by the Permanent representative of Greece and President of the 34th UNESCO General Conference, Mr George Anastasopoulos, by the President of the University of Sofia, Professor Ivan Ilchev, and by ambassadors of UNESCO member-states.