65 years of Romania in UNESCO, festively marked during the anniversary event ”Romania and UNESCO, bridges over time”
Article published on 30-07-2021
The year 2021 marks a double anniversary: 65 years since Romania's accession to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO - and 65 years since the establishment of Romania's National Commission for UNESCO - CNR UNESCO.
In this context, the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized on July 27, the date of Romania's accession to UNESCO in 1956, an anniversary event at the Bucharest National Opera, in the presence of over 500 guests.
The event brought back to the public attention the importance of Romania's accession to UNESCO, the significance of the member state status, as well as Romania's contribution to the global agenda of education, natural sciences and humanities, culture, as well as information and communication.
On this occasion, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, sent a congratulatory video message in which she pointed out the significance of Romania's membership in UNESCO and underlined the efforts of our state, expressed throughout its 65-year history, to promote UNESCO's values and ideals, as reflected in national public policies.
The program of the event included speeches from the Minister of Education Mr. Sorin Cîmpeanu, President of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO; Mrs. Ligia Deca, Presidential Adviser; Senator Vasile Dîncu, Joint Permanent Commission of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate for the relationship with UNESCO; Secretary of State Mrs. Daniela Gîtman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. András István Demeter, Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture; Ms. Ramona Săseanu, interim General Manager of the Romanian Television TVR; Mr. Daniel Jinga, interim Manager of the Bucharest National Opera; Ms. Nicoleta Paninopol, Manager of the “Mihai Eminescu” Cultural Center; Mrs. Madlen Șerban, Secretary General of CNR UNESCO. The presenter of the event was Ms. Mihaela Crăciun, coordinator with attributions of Director of the TVR 3 Department.
The President of CNR UNESCO underlined the institution's strong partnership with UNESCO, the Commission being committed to achieving the strategic objectives through actions dedicated to the priority areas of the Organization. The strategic vision “Futures of education”, which will be submitted to the approval of the General Conference of UNESCO in November 2021, is one of the central references for the steps we have taken in defining the prospects for the development of education in Romania.
The Minister of Education continued by stating that „Today, July 27, 2021, in the spirit of the anniversary program called "Bridges over time: 1956 - 2021" I have the honor to add another timeline: the year 2056 by launching the contest „Romania at 100 years upon accession”, a prospective collective exercise addressed to Romanian high school students in the country and everywhere. CNR UNESCO's collaboration with the Government’s Department for Romanians Abroad, with the voluntary participation of Professor Mihai I. Grăjdeanu, makes it possible that through one of the forms of cultural expression - comics, today's teenagers, who are the decision makers of 2056 in Romania and in the world, share their vision. This is also the opportunity for me to announce the event organized by the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO on September 24 and 25, on which occasion the finalists of the competition we launched will be invited to an online comics workshop”.
"At this anniversary I would like to recall the most well-known and accepted definition of sustainable development, proposed in 1987 by the Brundtland Commission: "Sustainable development is about meeting the needs of present generations, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, and to look at UNESCO not only as a space of history, but of clairvoyance and innovation. UNESCO has marked discreetly but effectively the way we relate to the notion of heritage, the respect we have for our predecessors and the peoples we live with. Its strategic role in the fields of education, culture, science, research, by strengthening international cooperation, is undeniable” said Mrs. Ligia Deca, Presidential Adviser, Department of Education and Research.
Mrs. Daniela Gîtman, Secretary of State for Interinstitutional Relations within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, welcomed the constant efforts of UNESCO and the Member States for the protection of international heritage, Romania being an active part in this endeavor. In this context, Mrs. Gîtman welcomed the decision taken on July 27, during the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, to inscribe the file "Roșia Montană Mining Cultural Landscape" in the World Heritage List. “I would also like to thank my colleagues from the Permanent Delegation of Romania to UNESCO Paris, as well as the artist Mircea Cantor, who is with us this evening and who made possible the donation of a beautiful work of art to UNESCO, in this anniversary moment” added Mrs. Gîtman.
"For Romania, the 65 years have certainly meant a number of challenges, but also a success of Romanian diplomacy, a recognition of the work and value of our specialists, of the involvement of the non-governmental environment. Precisely in order to fix a series of fundamental gaps, discovered in the post-revolution years, the Romanian Parliament was one of the few in the world that set up a Joint Permanent Commission of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate for the relationship with UNESCO" underlined Senator Vasile Dîncu, member of the Joint Standing Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate for relations with UNESCO.
"The year 2021 is a good opportunity to reflect on what it was, an opportunity to remember and refresh to the world our millennial values and identity, to dialogue and act collectively for a sustainable world, in which communication and mutual respect is achieved with the support of education, culture and sciences, to which equitable access is achieved for every citizen of the Planet" said Mrs. Madlen Serban, Secretary-General of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO.
During the event there were 2 exhibitions: the photo-documentary exhibition from the MFA Diplomatic Archive "Romania and UNESCO, bridges over time" and the exhibition of works of art "Heritage in 65 painted illustrations", presented by the Cultural Center "Mihai Eminescu". The Romanian Television contributed to the program of the event with the launch of the project "Twice 65", a film presenting the series of 65 mini-documentaries illustrating UNESCO heritage sites in Romania, a project realized with the support of Trust Motors, Peugeot brand as mobility partner. The festive evening was completed by an artistic moment offered by the Madrigal Choir, under the baton of the conductor Anna Ungureanu, and by a cocktail.
This event was part of the
anniversary program of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO "Romania and UNESCO, bridges over time - 65 years since accession." The partners of this program are the Joint Permanent Commission of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate for the relationship with UNESCO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, the Ministry of Culture, “Mihai Eminescu” Cultural Center, TVR, ASIROM, TRUST MOTORS, National Theater "I.L.Caragiale" Bucharest, Radio Romania Cultural, Bucharest National Opera, "Marin Sorescu" National Theater in Craiova, Schubz Center, Environmental Fund Administration, Transylvania International Film Festival TIFF, University of Bucharest, Romanian Academy, UNESCO International Geopark „Hațeg Country”, Elite Art Club, Mioritics Association, Union of Professional Journalists from Romania, “Comics Didactic” educational project, Râşnov Film and History Festival, Alumnus Club.
Photo credits: Vlad Ciubotariu
