INPS-IDN spoke with Ambassador Dr. Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Representative of Palestine to the UN Observer Mission of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to the United Nations (UN), and discussed what it means to chair the Group of 77 (G77) comprising 134 nations from around the world, without being a full-fledged member of the UN.
Summary of the interview: Since the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries endorsed by the General Assembly in 1978, says UNOSSC Director Chediek, South-South Cooperation has made great strides, as underlined by the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40) from March 20-22, 2019 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He emphasizes the importance of South-South and triangular cooperation to combating climate change and fostering sustainable development goals in their entirety. (INPS-IDN May 2019)
Filmed by Katsuhiro Asagiri, President of INPS Japan
INPS-IDN spoke with Ambassador Dr. Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Representative of Palestine to the UN Observer Mission of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to the United Nations (UN), and discussed what it means to chair the Group of 77 (G77) comprising 134 nations from around the world, without being a full-fledged member of the UN.
Ambassador Riyad underlined Palestine commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to nuclear non-proliferation and global communication.
NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (IDN) – Journalists from Asia and Europe who joined a weeklong cultural press tour of the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan in August broadly concurred that “this country has something to offer even to the well-travelled tourist”.
The week-long press tour was purported to showcase the rich culture and history of Kazakhstan as part of the project “Contemporary Culture of Kazakhstan in the Global World”. Participants came from Austria, Australia, China, South Korea, France, Japan, Switzerland, India, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Sweden.
I had the privilege to be one of them as a representative of INPS Japan, which is part of the International Press Syndicate group with IDN as its flagship.
Before arriving at the final destination Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, we visited the cities of Almaty (former Kazakh capital), Shymkent and the Turkestan region.
During the tour, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the support of regional ‘akimats’ (governments), we got acquainted with the modern culture, art, history and tourist attractions of Kazakhstan.
In Almaty, the ‘southern capital’ of Kazakhstan, we visited a number of cultural and historical institutions, including the Kasteyev Museum of Art, where we got acquainted with the artistic culture of the country, the Qazaq Oner Center for Craftsmen, where we admired traditional Kazakh musical instruments and types of traditional Kazakh music, and also participated in a brief master class by artisans.
Photo: Yukie Asagiri at the A. Kasteev State Museum of Arts in Almaty. It is the largest archive of decorative and graphic art works in Kazakhstan. It includes 23005 exhibits and is considered one of the best collections in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
A glimpse of Kok Tobe mountain, a visit to the high-mountain skating rink ‘Medeu’ and the mountain resort Shymbulak were fascinating.
Also a trip to the Big Almaty Lake made a lasting impression so that some members of the group said they would love to return to Almaty with their friends and families. No less impressive was the trip to the Charyn Canyon.
In Shymkent and the Turkestan region, with the assistance of local akimats, we visited the ancient city of Otrar, the mausoleums of Arystanbab and UNESCO World Heritage site, Khoja Ahmed Yassavi, as well as other tourist sites in the region.
Arystan Bab mausoleum close to the village of Kogam and Otrartobe, located 70 km from the city of Turkistan, southern Kazakhstan, is a 14th century mausoleum built for Arystan Bab, who was a famous religious leader. According to the legend, Arystan-Bab was one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad.
In Nur-Sultan, we met with the Minister of Culture and Sports, Aktota Raimkulova, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Defense and Security of the Mazhilis (lower house) of the bicameral Parliament, Mukhtar Yerman, and other members of the Mazhilis to learn more about the national policy to preserve the country’s rich cultural heritage, tourism development and the strengthening of international relations for the study of historical and archival data in other countries.
In the capital, we visited the “EXPO-2017” pavilion and the National Museum and went to a musical “Scarlet Sails” by the Karaganda Academic Musical Comedy Theater at the Astana Opera Theater. [IDN-InDepthNews – 24 August 2019]
We are delighted to have launched an internship programe with the University of Central Asia (UCA) for students from Central Asia from mid-May to mid-August 2019 – at the joint initiative of INPS-IDN Southeast Asia director and roving correspondent in Asia, Kalinga Seneviratne, and Dr Evangelia Papoutsaki, director of the Communication and Media Program at the UCA.
The University of Central Asia was founded in 2000 as a private, not for profit, secular university through an International Treaty signed by the Presidents of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, and His Highness the Aga Khan; ratified by their respective parliaments, and registered with the United Nations. The Presidents are Patrons of the University and His Highness is the Chancellor. UCA brings with it the broader commitment and partnership of the Aga Khan Development Network.
As a university focused on the development of mountain societies, UCA’s undergraduate programmes are located at its purpose-built world class residential campuses in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, and Khorog, Tajikistan near the Tien Shan and Pamir mountains respectively. The Tekeli campus in the mountain ranges of Kazakhstan is expected to start classes in 2022.
The towns of Naryn, Khorog, and Tekeli offer culturally and ecologically rich environments and communities. By locating the campuses in secondary cities and rural settings, UCA hopes to be at the heart of an intellectual and economic transformation in the region. The campuses are also located along the Silk Road, a historic trade and transportation route, which for centuries facilitated the global exchange of goods, cultures, and ideas. [INPS-IDN – May 2019]
This article was produced as a part of the joint media project between The Non-profit International Press Syndicate Group and Soka Gakkai International in Consultative Status with ECOSOC.
This article was produced as a part of the joint media project between The Non-profit International Press Syndicate Group and Soka Gakkai International in Consultative Status with ECOSOC.
Photo: Security Council meeting on Maintenance of international peace and security, Nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe
This article was produced as a part of the joint media project between The Non-profit International Press Syndicate Group and Soka Gakkai International in Consultative Status with ECOSOC.