Emphasis on Synergy to Advance Cultural Diplomacy: Meeting between the Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO and the Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance for Cultural Affairs
| Dr. Mohsen Javadi, Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance for Cultural Affairs, met with Dr. Hassan Fartousi, Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, at the Commission on 27 January 2026. They discussed and exchanged views on identifying opportunities for joint cooperation and expanding cultural engagement within the framework of UNESCO’s programs and conventions. |
During the meeting, Dr. Fartousi outlined existing capacities and emphasized the need for greater transparency in operations and the identification of common areas of cooperation between the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The discussion paved the way for exploring synergies between the Commission and the Ministry in areas including culture, the Persian language, documentary heritage, and cultural industries.
Proposal to Establish a Joint UNESCO–Iran Award for Persian Language and Culture
Dr. Fartousi subsequently noted the absence of an official Persian language award or scholarship within UNESCO’s framework and proposed the development and launch of a joint Iran–UNESCO award in the field of Persian language and culture. He cited the UNESCO–Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture as a successful example in this regard. He also highlighted the challenges and obstacles encountered in the process of registering World Persian Language Day, as well as the difficulties faced in registering the manuscript of One Thousand and One Nights—currently held at the Golestan Palace Museum—in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program.
Dr. Fartousi further emphasized the need for the Islamic Republic of Iran to accede to UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the importance of recognizing the role of Creative Cities of Literature, the promotion of reading culture, and the significance of acceding to conventions related to intellectual property.
In the subsequent discussion, Dr. Mohsen Javadi, Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance for Cultural Affairs, presented his views and proposals. He emphasized the organization of a program to commemorate 45 Iranian figures included in UNESCO’s list of international anniversaries, the empowerment of UNESCO Category 2 Centres, with a focus on endangered languages and cultural diversity, follow-up on the World Book Capital initiative, and a review of experiences in promoting reading during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the conclusion of the meeting, several decisions were made, including pursuing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s accession to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works; examining the possibility of acceding to UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions; publishing and unveiling a richly illustrated book on prominent Iranian figures included in UNESCO’s list of international anniversaries; transforming certain national awards into joint awards with UNESCO, including the Firoozeh Award for Women in the Cultural Industries; and securing support from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance for the publication of works by the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO.
It was also agreed that works authored by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance would be submitted for joint cooperation with the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO and for alignment with UNESCO standards.
