Celebrating the 75^th anniversary of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, several high-ranking officials and scholars discussed the country’s presence at the 42^nd UNESCO General Conference, and the opportunities that the organization provide for Iran’s activism, which almost all of them found underappreciated.

Dr. Ali Akbar Matkan, the Secretary-General of the National Commission defended the performance of the Iranian delegation at this year’s General Conference, and expressed hope that everyone can enjoy the benefits of UNESCO’s projects in the country.

Dr. Ahmad Jalali, the former Iranian ambassador to UNESCO and emphasized that if UNESCO were to be established today, the world powers would not allow it.

Rosanna Giannandre, the Officer-in-Charge of the UNESCO Cluster office in Tehran emphasized that from UNESCO’s point of view, it is very important that National Commissions support intellectual and scientific communities and non-governmental organizations. At the same time, the national commissions help to maintain peace, stability, and security by promoting programs.

After these key speakers’ remarks, a specialized panel convened, in which the Research Deputy of the Iranian Minister of Science, Research, and Technology, Dr. Peyman Salehi mentioned Iran’s leading position in science among Islamic countries, which has not matched the country’s efforts in science diplomacy.

Dr. Foad Izadi, a professor at University of Tehran also emphasized embracing opportunities in UNESCO to share Iranian thoughts and ideas with foreign scholars.