Peruvian President Ollanta Humala Proposes Andean Road System for UNESCO Inscription
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala met the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Irina Bokova, during an official visit to UNESCO. At UNESCO the president also met the permanent delegates of the six States Parties to the World Heritage Convention involved in the preparation of the multinational and serial candidature of the Qhapaq Ñan, also known as the Andean Road System, for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru).
Latin American republics welcomed President Humala
Members of the diplomatic corps of the six Latin American republics welcomed President Humala, who was accompanied by Rafael Roncagliolo, Minister of External Relations; Luis Peirano, Minister of Culture; Luis Castilla, Minister of Economy and Finances; Orlando Velásquez, Chair of the National Assembly of Presidents of Universities; and Manuel Rodríguez, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Peru to UNESCO.
“Qhapaq Ñan embodies the profound intermingling of cultural, natural and intangible heritage and it symbolizes the power of culture to build bridges, to facilitate dialogue between peoples and ideas,” said the Director-General. “Given its vast cultural, technical and symbolic ramifications, this project sends out a message to all countries, as a model of cultural cooperation”.
The president also attended the ceremony held for the nomination of celebrated Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Juan Diego Flórez was named “in recognition of his dedication to initiatives related to social inclusion and education”.
“In a world threatened by intolerance, music is a universal language that enhances mutual understanding and dialogue,” said the Director-General during the nomination. “Your commitment is in harmony with Peru’s decisive action in this area, whether linking culture and development or fighting the illicit trafficking in cultural property. Together, we can promote culture as a force for peace and social progress”.
President Humala underlined Peru’s interest in “working for a stronger UNESCO, with more bilateral cooperation in the fields of education and culture”. He also recalled that the Qhapaq Ñan project “symbolizes a road which centuries ago served to unite a great culture and society which is again engaged in a collective effort of integration”.
During the visit, the Director-General and the Peruvian leader signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on “strengthening the capacity of the education system in Peru to deliver inclusive and relevant quality education” and a Memorandum of Understanding for concerning UNESCO’s Programme for the Management of Social Transformations (MOST).t
