Question: In 2022, relations between Russia and the West have seriously deteriorated. How did this manifest itself at the UNESCO site, did it affect the work of the Organization?
Answer: The crisis that broke out this year at UNESCO as a result of the frenzied anti-Russian campaign of the collective West is unprecedented. Critical situations have arisen before, for example, due to the financial blackmail of the organization by the United States or the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which forced UNESCO to transfer its work to a virtual format for almost two years. But, perhaps, the West has never used this international platform with such cynicism exclusively for its geopolitical goals, which blatantly contradict its humanitarian mandate.
At meetings of governing bodies, working groups and other meetings, our opponents invariably promoted a confrontational agenda, reducing the discussion to accusations against us. But this caused damage not so much to Russia as to UNESCO itself, since the solution of many program tasks was blocked due to the actions of Westerners. It came to the point that it was impossible to coordinate the appointment of technical experts in separate working bodies. Not to mention the larger-scale problems when Russophobes, contrary to the ideals and values of UNESCO, blocked the adoption of a purely humanitarian draft decision of the Executive Council on the proclamation of the World Day of the Russian Language. An equally odious example was the unjustified disruption of the 45th anniversary session of the World Heritage Committee only because Westerners were unable to deprive us of the chairmanship of this prestigious body.
Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of UNESCO member countries are interested in developing cooperation based on its traditional mandate and do not participate in anti-Russian sanctions. So it did not work out to isolate Russia in UNESCO, which Westerners openly called for.
Question: In September, the Foreign Ministry said that Moscow considers UNESCO’s lack of reaction to the murder of journalist Daria Dugina as a violation of the principle of equidistance, and that the organization’s inaction will be taken into account when building a further line. Has this line of Russia changed and how exactly?
Answer: Indeed, the lack of reaction to the murder of a Russian journalist by the Director General of UNESCO, which has a clear mandate from Member States obliging it to condemn such crimes, has become a serious crack in our relations with the secretariat. It was his “deafening silence” that was the last straw that forced us to turn to public criticism of the secretariat. We cannot put up with such a situation when international officials take a politically biased position contrary to the UNESCO charter, which prohibits them from taking sides or receiving instructions from certain Governments. By the way, complaints to the Secretariat at the last session of the Executive Council were expressed not only by us, but also by representatives of other countries.
More detailed: https://www.mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/un/1845323/
