The multinational and multi-confessional nature of the Azerbaijan population is an essential aspect of intercultural dialogue, one of the national cultural policy priorities. The fundamental spirit of the national policy stems from the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan (No.00 of November 12, 1995), which proclaims that all citizens are equal, regardless of their ethnic or racial origin. The Law on Joining the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (No.95-IQ of May 31, 1996) has been incorporated into the Law on Culture (No.506-IVQ of December 21, 2012) and other relevant laws. The Law on Accession to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (No. 897-IQ of June 16, 2000) was adopted in 2000. The leading public actor responsible for implementing programs and policies to promote intercultural dialogue in the Republic of Azerbaijan at national and local policy levels is the Ministry of Culture, which closely cooperates with other state bodies, depending on the matter under consideration.
The Ministry of Culture has implemented the “Cultural Diversity in Azerbaijan” project to highlight the country’s rich ethnic and cultural diversity. It involved the cultural associations of the various national minorities and helped realise one of its chief strategic aims – developing and supporting intercultural dialogue. Another significant event, the traditional festival “Azerbaijan – my motherland”, was organised by the Ministry of Culture in November 2006, October 2008, November 2011, June 2014, and June 2016. Scientific conferences, photo exhibitions, preliminary concert performances, and gala concerts held within the framework of the festivals attracted thousands of participants from various regions, representing nearly all national minorities and ethnic groups residing in Azerbaijan.
In 2009, the Republic of Azerbaijan joined the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (No.918-IIIQ of November 26, 2009). Furthermore, establishing the Baku International Multiculturalism Centre, as outlined in the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (No.167 of May 15, 2014), testifies to the country’s commitment to tolerance and multiculturalism. 2016 was declared the Year of Multiculturalism in the Republic of Azerbaijan to preserve, develop, and promote multicultural traditions, mutual understanding, and dialogue.
The Baku Process is rooted in Azerbaijan’s unique interregional characteristics, which stem from its geographical location, social and political aspirations, and rich historical and cultural traditions. Proceeding from this, with the modern Republic of Azerbaijan being, at that time, the only state member of both the Council of Europe and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO), the Baku Process was initiated by the Republic of Azerbaijan to bring these regions closer.
Formalising the Baku Process involved three initial stages:
- Organising a Council of Europe Conference of Culture Ministers in Baku, to which ICESCO and several of its member states were invited (December 2-3, 2008), on the theme of “Intercultural Dialogue as a Basis for Peace and Sustainable Development in Europe and its Neighbouring Regions”.
- Holding an IСESCO Conference of Culture Ministers in Baku, to which the Council of Europe and some of its member states were invited (October 13-15, 2009), following the celebration of Baku as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2009.
- Establishing a biennial Baku World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue with the participation of relevant intergovernmental organisations, culture ministers, and people worldwide.
The Baku World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue has taken responsibility for delivering the following:
- The Global Agenda on the Dialogue among Civilisations adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (2001),
- The UNESCO Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005),
- The ICESCO Islamic Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2004),
- The Declaration and the Action Plan of the Third Summit of Heads of States and Governments of the Council of Europe (2005),
- The Council of Europe’s White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue (2008),
- The Baku Declaration for the Promotion of Intercultural Dialogue (2008).
In cooperation with UNESCO, the UN Alliance of Civilizations, the UN World Tourism Organization, the Council of Europe, and ICESCO, with the participation of culture ministers of numerous states, heads of leading international organisations, mayors of various world cities, diplomats, media organisations, international NGOs, scientists, scholars, distinguished cultural experts, practitioners, intellectuals and activists, the Republic of Azerbaijan has already hosted:
- The First Baku World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue on “United Through Common Values, Enriched by Cultural Diversity” (April 7-9, 2011);
- The Second Baku World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue on the subject of “Living Together Peacefully in a Diverse World” (May 29 – June 1, 2013);
- The Third Baku World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue dedicated to the theme “Sharing Culture for Shared Security” (May 18-19, 2015);
- The Fourth Baku World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue on the subject “Advancing Intercultural Dialogue: New Avenues for Human Security, Peace and Sustainable Development” (May 5–6, 2017);
- The Fifth Baku World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue on “Building dialogue into action against discrimination, inequality, and violent conflict” (May 2–3, 2019);
- The Sixth Baku World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue on “Dialogue for Peace and Global Security: Cooperation and Interconnectivity” (May 1-3, 2024).
Comments are closed.