00:01There are so many aspects that we can learn from this heritage and from this civilisation,
00:08especially in today's volatile world.
00:11Interactions between civilisations have always taken place.
00:15It's not something new.
00:16We need to draw on it, leverage these interactions
00:20to pass it on to the next generation and build a culture of peace.
00:27For centuries, Uzbekistan has been a crossroads of ideas, scholarship and discovery.
00:33That rich history and its legacy were at the heart of a recent gathering at UNESCO in Paris.
00:40Initiatives like today's forum can reinforce the intercultural dialogue.
00:44I'm talking about the shared cultural legacies.
00:48Knowing this cultural legacy, knowing this history,
00:52can help us build trust between the people of different cultures,
00:56making a better future for all of us.
00:59Civilisations are not growing in isolation.
01:02We cross-fertilise each other and it is a message that we need to share
01:07to see that we have much more in common than elements that separate us.
01:11UNESCO has been a part of the work of the UNESCO's new centre of Islamic civilisation.
01:20We have been a part of the UNESCO's new centre of Islamic civilisation.
01:26A central feature of the meeting at UNESCO was Uzbekistan's new centre of Islamic civilisation.
01:32Initiated by the country's president in 2017,
01:35the flagship project in Tashkent brings together the nation's rich cultural and intellectual heritage.
01:42In this centre, there is a absolutely extraordinary museum that reflects all of this great history.
01:50And in this sense, I think that for education, it's a big step forward for the people of Uzbekistan.
01:57And for the whole world, to be able to understand all of these magnificent objects
02:04that have been represented in this museum, it's extraordinary and unique.
02:08Uzbekistan is one of the key, let's say, countries along the historic Silk Road at the heart of Central Asia.
02:15These centres, like the Uzbekistan Islamic Civilisation Centre, can help us to identify, to document
02:22and also to promote our shared past, our shared history.
02:26The Islamic Civilisation Centre of Islamic Civilisation Centre of Islamic Civilisation
02:42several new research institutes across Uzbekistan are also helping to deepen understanding of the region's legacy.
02:49The emergence of the many centres around Uzbekistan, like the Centre for Islamic Civilisation,
02:55the Al-Bukhari Memorial Centre, Imam Kermidi Memorial Centre are shedding light into this cultural heritage.
03:02And by every passing day, we see more and more efforts and we look forward to much more.
03:08The question of whether cultural artefacts should be returned to their countries of origin also came into focus.
03:14It is a difficult process. Not many countries necessarily agree to give back something that they owned
03:23throughout the times and the ages, but it is happening. I think it is very important that these artefacts go
03:28to where they belong, they go back home.
03:31At the heart of it all was the wider question of how heritage can foster greater mutual understanding.
03:38Uzbekistan has been very, very active for promoting, protecting its cultural legacies and we do hope
03:44that they continue to do this and it can inspire other countries as well.
04:00We live in a time where hate speech spreads very fast. So this opportunity is to sit, speak, exchange ideas
04:12and dialogue,
04:13help people understand each other and prepare for a culture of peace.
04:18I think there is much more need for attention, shedding light towards this part of the world,
04:24because it has a lot to offer in terms of the legacy, diversity, shared human heritage dialogue
04:31and efforts towards the betterment of the society and the humankind.
04:37The Forum in Paris was part of a wider programme to showcase Uzbekistan's heritage,
04:43with presentations also taking place at the UN in New York and Geneva.
