Islamabad — UNESCO Representative in Pakistan, Mr. Fuad Pashayev, called on Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Muhammad Aurangzeb Khichi, at his office and assured UNESCO’s continued support in safeguarding Pakistan’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
During the meeting, Mr. Pashayev highlighted key upcoming global UNESCO events — including Mondiacult 2025 in Barcelona (26 September to 1 October), the 43rd Session of the General Conference in Paris (30 October to 13 November), and the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee (8 to 13 December). He requested Pakistan’s active participation in these important forums.
Federal Minister Khichi informed the UNESCO Representative that his office has already received an invitation for Mondiacult and confirmed his attendance to represent Pakistan.
Mr. Pashayev also outlined several ongoing initiatives by UNESCO, including efforts toward the conservation of World Heritage Sites, capacity building in heritage management, prevention of illicit trafficking of cultural assets, and promotion of creative industries. He shared that UNESCO Pakistan is currently working with stakeholders to build awareness around Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) and promote ratification of the 2001 Convention.
He announced that a consultation workshop will be held on 7-8 October 2025 to further discussions on UCH protection and develop a national roadmap for convention ratification. Mr. Pashayev also expressed his appreciation for Pakistan’s participation in the recent UNESCO UCH meeting held on 30 June 2025.
Minister Khichi and Secretary for National Heritage and Culture reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the 2001 Convention’s ratification and requested UNESCO’s support in adding more Pakistani sites to the World Heritage List.
Mr. Jawad Aziz, Head of Culture at UNESCO Pakistan, also present in the meeting, announced an upcoming workshop from 3-7 November 2025, which will focus on strengthening Pakistan’s capacity to manage World Heritage Sites and prepare effective nomination dossiers for potential inscriptions.
The Minister and Secretary emphasized the urgent need to build national expertise in site conservation, artifact preservation, and museum management.
Mr. Jawad Aziz further highlighted past collaborations between UNESCO, NHCD, and Lok Virsa. He noted that under an ongoing project, a provincial inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been developed. Lok Virsa will now assist in integrating Sindh’s data with the National Inventory, and will also help organize exhibitions of local crafts from Tharparkar and Kalash at Lok Virsa.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cultural cooperation for the preservation and promotion of Pakistan’s rich heritage.
