Ukraine's Foreign Ministry comments on Russia's major failure in UNESCO elections
Photo: Russia was not admitted to UNESCO program councils (Getty Images)
Russia suffered a crushing defeat in elections to several UNESCO advisory bodies and was not admitted to any of the organization’s institutions, according to the press service of Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.
As a result of the elections held on November 10, Russia failed to secure a seat in the following bodies:
-
The Intergovernmental Council of the UNESCO Program “Information for All” (IFAP)
-
The Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC)
-
The International Coordinating Council of the UNESCO Program “Man and the Biosphere” (ICC MAB)
"The voting results confirm that a terrorist state waging an aggressive war against Ukraine, destroying cultural heritage, schools, museums, theaters, and libraries, cannot claim moral or expert leadership in the fields of science, culture, communication, or information," the statement reads.
The Foreign Ministry also noted that Ukraine values the consistent stance of its partners who continue to support the country’s efforts to defend the values on which UNESCO’s mission is based.
"On the instruction of Minister for Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine continues working to ensure Russia’s maximum international isolation and its removal from the governing bodies of international organizations," the statement continued, congratulating all friends and partners elected to UNESCO bodies.
Ukraine in UNESCO
UNESCO is a specialized UN agency focused on education, science, culture, and the protection of the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
Notably, shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion, in November 2021, Ukraine was elected to the UNESCO Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
