Minister: Armenia counts on UN assistance in preserving historical  and cultural heritage in territories controlled by Azerbaijan

ArmInfo. The Armenian side counts on the support of international organizations, in particular the UN, in preserving the historical and cultural heritage in the  territories that came under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of  the 2020 war.

This was stated by the Minister of Education, Science,  Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia Vahram Dumanyan during  the meeting with the delegation headed by the UN Resident Coordinator  in Armenia Shombi Sharp.  "These cultural and historical monuments  are universal civilizational values created by the Armenian people,"  the minister said, pointing out the extremely important role of the  UN mission in Armenia, especially in the post-war crisis.

At the same time, Dumanyan highly appreciated the programs  implemented in the systems education, science, culture and sports  with the support of the Organization United Nations, and expressed  the hope that they will continue to active. In this regard, he  expressed the hope that the UN Office in Armenia will continue its  support for the full realization of the right to education of  children in the post- war period.

In turn, Shombi Sharp highly appreciated the cooperation that has  developed between his office and the Ministry of Education, Science  and Culture.

"The joint efforts made during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide  students with distance learning, create new educational platforms and  support schools with hygiene items to function safely are  particularly commendable. Education is one of the driving forces  behind human capital creation and the country's development. We look  forward to we look forward to continuing the exchange of best  practices and support for education reform in Armenia. In particular,  in the near future we will focus on creating temporary educational  zones, we will support inclusive access to quality education for  children displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh who have found refuge in  Armenia, " said Shombi Sharp.

The meeting discussed issues related to the implementation of the  project for the development of universal inclusive education, taking  into account the transition of Armenia, according to the legislation,  by 2023 to a universal inclusive system in preschool education.

The parties also touched upon cooperation with the World Food  Program, emphasizing the effective implementation of the Sustainable  School Feeding program in regional schools in Armenia.  Speaking  about the problem of providing lifelong education in an epidemic, it  was noted that with the active support of local and international  organizations, including various UN agencies, it was possible to  ensure 85% of students' participation in distance learning.

At the meeting, the Armenian side also reaffirmed its commitment to  work aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, with  special emphasis on cooperation with the UN Children's Fund.  During  the meeting, other issues related to the epidemic and the post-war  situation were discussed in order to clarify cooperation programs and  expand activities.