I would firstly like to express my sincere pleasure that, together with colleague ministers, personalities of culture, scholars, various governmental and social actors, representatives of UNESCO, are participating in this first phase of the 60th anniversary celebrations of Albania’s membership in UNESCO. In a few weeks, from 19-23 November, additional activities will be held in Paris at the headquarters of the Organization to mark this important moment.

Today marks six decades since Albania’s membership in UNESCO. As part of the UN system’s chain, UNESCO was founded to develop the intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity, as an intergovernmental instrument to build lasting peace. After more than seven decades, without any hesitation we can say that its activity has helped to change the life and build a future for millions of people, has influenced how people around the globe see and understand each other, and the whole world in which we live.

Albania at the time of UNESCO membership, as Mirela previously mentioned, was quite different from the democratic, modern and developed Albania of today; eager and irreversible in its commitment to progress. There is not much to say about our presence, role and contribution to UNESCO, as well as other parts of multilateral activity, over the decades under the communist regime. However, in spite of drastic restrictions imposed by dictatorship, ideological orientation, paranoia, and self-isolation, the presence in UNESCO helped Albania fight illiteracy in an effort to bring the country out of a significant backwardness.

With the fundamental changes in the political system in the country, our interaction with UNESCO centered the need for support, for the integration of the country in the world, change of image and increased visibility, support for freedom of expression, improvement of the education system, the rule of law and democracy, the creation and functioning of civil society and citizenship, the protection and development of cultural heritage through new policies and, in particular, the protection and promotion of human rights.

Over the course of three decades, Albania has become a party of all major UNESCO conventions, has actively participated in discussions on major issues of the organization’s agenda and succeeded in including in the various UNESCO registers a number of treasures, that represent and highlight the indisputable and unique universal values of our cultural, spiritual, and natural heritage. Butrint, Berat, Gjirokastra, Iso-polyphony, the “Purple Codices of Berat”, the Primeval Beech Forests of Gashi and Rajca Rivers, Prespa Biosphere Reserve, are now praised jewels of our cultural and natural inventory, part of the world’s heritage and other internationally recognized and universally valued records.

Another important file, the Ohrid region, is currently under review and we are confident that next year it will become a pearl in the World Heritage Site.

I would also like to emphasize our continued commitment to dialogue between civilizations and cultures. The International Conference on Interreligious Dialogue, “The New Millennium Religions and Civilizations”, organized in 2003, under the auspices of former President Moisiu and former UNESCO Director General, Matsuura, constitutes a concrete aspect of the special co-operation with organization. Other examples illustrate our constant attention and care to preserve and feed one of our greatest, never-ending, perpetual and ubiquitous treasures, that of understanding, respect and sincere exemplary cooperation between religious beliefs.

In this era of strong commitment both nationally and globally to combat extremism, radicalization, extreme violence and terrorism, the Albanian model of social cohesion and our efforts to strengthen the teaching of critical thinking on the world and phenomena in our schools, are a concrete contribution in this direction, in full compliance and fully coordinated with UNESCO.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me point out three moments, which, in my judgment, are of special importance.

Firstly, on the importance, preservation and strengthening of multilateralism. In a few weeks, the world will commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I, which, as we know, began in the Balkans. The epochal changes from the second half of the 20th century to date have reduced poverty, reduced the differences between developed and developing countries, radically changed international geopolitics, and above all, they made the world a safer and more peaceful place. But it would be illusive if we took things for granted.

The growing populist rhetoric, even in developed societies, the divisive hate speech, the pressure on multilateralism and the tendencies for national contraction call for increased vigilance and impose the need for a renewed, clearer, more demanding  focus and efficient collaboration.

We strongly believe in a world where countries meet to discuss common challenges, to jointly find solutions and to design a better future for all of us. That is why we have supported and will continue to support Kosovo’s accession in international organizations, including UNESCO, as a real investment for Kosovo citizens, but also for strengthening regional co-operation. From the experience of recent years, effective regional and wider cooperation in education, culture, science and communication cannot be achieved without all-inclusive participation and contribution. We will continue to be at the forefront of sincere and incessant efforts to strengthen co-operation among the countries of the region, through the promotion, identification and consolidation of the common cultural, spiritual heritage, and cultural diversity.

Secondly, also related to what previously said, the need to invest more and wisely on the youth. It is important to enable the energy and creativity of the young generation by any means available, in order to put them in the service of solving the current and future problems. Engagement, will, skills and agility of the young generation will be crucial for both Albania and our European path, but also for shaping a region that will ultimately live in peace and prosperity. That is why we have strongly supported the establishment of the for Regional Youth Cooperation Office and the Western Balkans Fund, two initiatives with headquarters in Tirana, to initiate the process of regional reconciliation through youth and civil society, being confident that by building a solid communication bridge among young people, we will be able to build other greater bridges of cooperation and understanding between societies.

Thirdly, the need to reform UNESCO, to make it more effective, more responsive and operative, as part of the chain of a large bureaucratic organization that needs continuous reformation. While we rightly appreciate the organization’s achievements during these seven decades, we are aware that much remains to be done. In many countries, millions of girls and boys still have no access to education. Illiteracy hinders hundreds of millions others people to fully participate in the societies where they live. Freedom of expression is still fragmented or misused in many parts of the world. Climate change has already been identified as a real threat to humanity. Therefore, we support the strategic transformation project initiated by the Director General, which aims to give the Organization a renewed role in a completely changed world, which requires ideas, energy, vision, projects and above all convincing results.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as a member of the UNESCO Executive Board since 2013, for two consecutive mandates, Albania will continue to contribute to the areas of UNESCO’s competence in education, science, communication and the preservation and promoting of cultural, spiritual and natural heritage, as it enjoys the need to implement the mandate of the organization, as an irreplaceable international instrument for peace and understanding.

We have the conviction that culture and cultural dialogue, with the “soft power” energy, remain an important and irreplaceable component of public diplomacy, of our efforts for understanding which today’s complex and often polarized world has made them important tools.

Humanity today needs a strong, capable UNESCO, rich experience, accumulated knowledge, “soft power” and added value to maintain the achievements and jointly design the future, a better future, more prosperous and worthy for all, which we cannot build on our own, but by working together in peace, understanding, trust, and mutual respect.

Thank you!