Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the official opening ceremony of the 4th Baku International Humanitarian Forum
Dear ladies and gentlemen!
Dear friends!
The Baku International Humanitarian Forum is beginning today. I want to warmly welcome all participants of the forum. Today’s forum brings together about 500 people from over 60 countries. So I say to all the guests: “You are welcome!”
The Forum is a very significant event. It has become a wonderful tradition. The forum is being held for the fourth time. This truly indicates that there is a great need for such discussions. The developments unfolding in the world and some issues of concern require that even more attention is paid to the humanitarian sphere. I am confident that the discussions and exchanges to be held within the framework of the forum will contribute to the deepening of the humanitarian cooperation. We in Azerbaijan are paying a lot of attention to this area. It is no coincidence that this forum is being held in Azerbaijan. I can say that at the moment this forum plays an exceptional role in the discussions and analyses of humanitarian issues in the world. Of course, this is exactly why interest in the forum is steadily growing. It has become an important format on the international arena.
We in Azerbaijan have always paid great attention to humanitarian aspects in the development of relations between the countries. This is necessitated by our historical past and our culture. Over the course of centuries, a multi-confessional and multicultural society has emerged in Azerbaijan, and these positive trends were further reinforced in the years of independence. All peoples in Azerbaijan live in an atmosphere of friendship and goodwill like one family. Azerbaijan has never experienced confrontations or misunderstandings on religious and ethnic grounds, and it is our greatest asset. The power of any country, of course, is determined by several factors – political opportunities, economic strength and, at the same time, the atmosphere in society, the sound environment and the sense of solidarity. I believe that from this point of view the experience of Azerbaijan is very positive, and by our work we are making a positive contribution to the processes ongoing in the world.
Multiculturalism is a way of life in Azerbaijan. It may be a relatively new term but over the course of centuries Azerbaijan has had a multicultural society. Clear evidence of this is the friendship and solidarity among peoples. We are still committed to ensuring that our initiatives have a positive impact on the processes taking place in the region and the world at large. It is no coincidence that the several initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan have already found their place in life and are now generating new opportunities. For example, it should be noted that the meeting of Culture Ministers of the Council of Europe held in Baku in 2008 was also attended by the Ministers of Culture of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. A joint meeting was held. It happened for the first time in history, and Azerbaijan made this initiative as a member of both the Council of Europe and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Then, we invited the Ministers of Culture of the Council of Europe to the meeting of the Ministers of Culture of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held in Baku in 2009. So that initiative was called the “Baku process”. Today, the “Baku process” is very much alive and is developing. Baku has hosted forums on dialogue among civilizations. The Summit of religious leaders of the world was held on our initiative a few years ago, and the essence of the Baku International Humanitarian Forum is just that.
I am sure that the prominent statesmen, public figures, scientists, specialists and experts participating in the forum will share with us their interesting thoughts over these days, so we can jointly contribute to the humanitarian sphere. We will continue to make effort for the deepening of the humanitarian cooperation in the future. Of course, I believe it is no longer a secret that this forum will be held annually, so this format will live.
I should also note that even though we have always paid great attention to humanitarian cooperation and the solution of humanitarian issues, our people and state are faced with a humanitarian catastrophe. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has been violated and an aggressive policy is conducted against us. The internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan is under Armenian occupation. As a result of the occupation, 20 per cent of our territory has been captured by the Armenians. More than a million of our fellow countrymen have become refugees and internally displaced persons. A policy of ethnic cleansing has been conducted against us. The Khojaly genocide has been perpetrated and hundreds of innocent people have become victims of this genocide.
More than 10 countries have officially recognized the Khojaly massacre as an act of genocide. In connection with this conflict, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, all reputable international organizations have adopted resolutions and decisions. Four UN Security Council resolutions were adopted, demanding an unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian forces from the occupied territories. Unfortunately, these resolutions are not being executed. And here we are faced with a great injustice and double standards. We know only too well that in some cases UN Security Council resolutions are carried out in a matter of one day. Unfortunately, when it comes to the most important issue for us, these resolutions have remained on paper for more than 20 years. The OSCE, the European Parliament, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and other international organizations have adopted resolutions and decisions that support the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. This format and this framework is the only way to resolve the conflict.
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is recognized by the whole world and must be unconditionally restored. Our fellow countrymen affected by the occupation and expelled from their homes must return to their native lands despite the fact that there is no life there and everything is destroyed. The OSCE fact-finding and evaluation missions have been sent to the occupied lands twice, and their reports clearly state that everything is destroyed there. Our mosques, the tombs of our ancestors, our historical monuments have been desecrated and our museums have been looted. This is a great humanitarian disaster, and Azerbaijan has at its own expense done a great job of addressing this humanitarian issue, settling the IDPs and arranging for their employment, and this work is still in progress. Some of the displaced persons are still living in difficult conditions.
The Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict poses the biggest threat to the region. The soonest settlement of the conflict based on the norms and principles of international law will pave the way for regional peace and even greater development, and usher new opportunities for regional cooperation. Despite this difficult situation, the development of Azerbaijan has been sustainable. We have made great strides in recent years, including those in the humanitarian sphere. The humanitarian sphere is one of the priority areas for our government, and we are investing a lot in this sector. At the same time, I believe that humanitarian issues are also successfully addressed in Azerbaijan.
A lot of attention is paid to education. Over the past 10 years we have built around 3,000 new schools. Reforms are now under way to improve the quality of education. I believe that in the near future we will see the excellent results of these reforms. At the same time, Azerbaijani youngsters are sent by the state to study in higher educational institutions of the world, and they will certainly have their say in the development of our country in the future.
The issue of improving the healthcare system is also quite relevant. If we consider that the material and technical infrastructure of the healthcare system became completely unserviceable in the first years of independence, we invested heavily in it and created a modern health infrastructure. Over the past 10 years we have built and renovated more than 500 healthcare institutions, and today many of them meet the highest standards.
Our initiatives related to culture are also yielding fruit. Azerbaijan regularly hosts international events, festivals and competitions. Our historical monuments are being restored. A special program has been implemented. There are many ancient monuments in Azerbaijan. They are our national treasure. The state also restores religious monuments and builds new ones. I must note that the Shamakhi Juma Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in the world, has undergone major overhaul. This mosque was built in Shamakhi in 743 and is one of the oldest mosques in the Muslim world. In the village of Kish of Shaki District there is the oldest church in the Caucasus. This church has also been restored. It is our national treasure. Orthodox churches, the Catholic church and synagogues have been repaired in Azerbaijan with support of the state. So this is our greatest asset, and I want to say again that a multicultural society, the inter-religious dialogue, friendship and brotherhood among peoples further strengthen our state. This creates a wonderful atmosphere in our society. I want to say again that this is also a government policy and order of society. So I think that we will successfully develop in this direction. I should also note that our experience in this area may be of interest to other countries.
At the same time, we pay great attention to the economic sphere. After all, if there is no strong economy, it will not be so easy to put forward humanitarian initiatives. Therefore, we wanted to ensure our economic independence, strengthen our state and, at the same time, create new opportunities for our compatriots living in harsh conditions. Our social policy is conducted in a focused manner. Over the past 10 years we have repeatedly raised pensions and wages. The rate of poverty has sharply reduced. In just 10 years, poverty has dropped from 49 to 5.3 per cent. We can say that the fight against poverty is nearing completion. I believe that over the next few years poverty will be completely done away with in Azerbaijan.
The fight against unemployment is also primarily of humanitarian nature. In recent years we have created more than 1,200,000 jobs and unemployment has sharply declined as well. It is less than 5 per cent now. In fact, migrants from other countries come to Azerbaijan in search of work. So this is underpinned by a sound policy. Economic development is very rapid. Over the past 10 years Azerbaijan has been the fastest growing country in the world in terms of economic development. All our economic indicators are positive. Over the past 10 years the economy has more than tripled. The foreign debt of the state is at a very low level – 8 per cent. Over the past 10 years budget revenues grew more than 20 times. Proper distribution of budget revenues, the implementation of social programs and infrastructure projects have facilitated the development of our country.
Of course, Azerbaijan is known in the world as an oil and gas country. This is our greatest wealth. But we know that in some countries this great wealth does not bring success. On the contrary, it creates problems, opens the way to war and stratification of society. In Azerbaijan, we are seeing quite the opposite. Our natural resources have had a positive impact on the lives of every individual. This is evidenced by the paved roads, hospitals, growing wages and improving cities. Azerbaijan has accumulated a unique experience in using oil revenues correct and converting the “black gold” into human capital – we have already achieved this. In the future, our economy will develop in a diversified manner. Today we are investing in new technologies. Today, Azerbaijan is a space-faring nation. We have joined the club of space countries.
We attach great importance to innovation, new technologies and the development of science. A science development fund has been set up. I can say that economic development, the social agenda and the attention paid to the humanitarian field have been the key contributors to Azerbaijan’s successful development in recent years. I think that by our economic projects we have made a positive impact on regional cooperation too. In many cases the ambitious regional energy and transport projects were initiated by Azerbaijan, which assumed the main economic risks. I can say that all our initiatives, our projects related to the economy, energy and transport have been successful. There has never been and I am sure never will be a failure.
At present, Azerbaijan is an economically independent country. We pursue an independent foreign political course. This policy is supported by most countries of the world. To visually confirm these words, I want to say that a few years ago Azerbaijan was elected a member of the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council is the most authoritative body in the world, and the newly independent state of Azerbaijan became a member of this prestigious organization with the support of 155 countries. So this is also a reflection of our role in the world and of our independent foreign policy. The vast majority of the international community believes in us and supported us with their votes.
I think that if each country pursues an independent foreign policy, there will be less war and misunderstanding in the world. All countries should respect others. Each country should respect the choice of other countries – both on the international plane and in the field of interreligious dialogue, in the humanitarian sphere. All this is interconnected. People come here from over 60 different countries, but we get together and hold discussions. We try to find a way to direct the processes ongoing in the world primarily in a positive direction. The processes ongoing today are very alarming. Both in the Muslim world and in Europe there is a growing trend of radicalism, discrimination and racism. We see these trends and anxiously follow them.
During these days in Baku, we will try to find out what needs to be done to eliminate these trends. This is the main question because we are talking about a dialogue between civilizations. But at the same time we are disappointed by some statements that multiculturalism has crashed and has no future. These are very dangerous statements. I should note that there is no alternative to multiculturalism in the modern world. The vast majority of countries in the world are multinational. If multiculturalism has crashed, then what can become an alternative to it? And the answer is also very clear. It is discrimination, racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. We must speak out against these perilous trends. Of course, this should first of all be done by the states. But at the same time, the policy of states is increasingly determined by the political, public and academic elite of every society, the public opinion. Not a single head of state or government can ignore public opinion. So I believe that we must work together to talk about these issues. We must express our views on issues of concern to us and, if necessary, provide feedback. We, as partners and friends, have to express our views on these issues. We in Azerbaijan are trying to develop regional cooperation in this region, to further improve the relationships between nations and to reinforce the dialogue between religions. We have the capacity to do that because our past, as I said, allows us the opportunity to treat these issues with great care. We know about these issues. Azerbaijan itself is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. Besides, representatives of different religions lived together in Azerbaijan in the past. As I said, as a member of both the Council of Europe and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, we have taken on this mission. We want to see even more cooperation and understanding. We continue to see our role in this.
We are also very concerned about the negative developments unfolding in the Muslim world. After all, we are a part of the Muslim world. Today, wars, clashes and bloody stand-offs are practically destroying countries. This is a very serious process. We cannot view this process in isolation. In today’s world we are all connected to each other. At the same time, the worsening attitudes towards migrants on the European continent, the statements such as “multiculturalism has crashed” and the fact that political forces inclined to discrimination are gaining a growing number of votes should, of course, disturb all of us. Let me say again that this forum also pursues this goal. I believe that in the modern world Azerbaijan has a unique role from geographical and humanitarian perspectives. We are a country located between Europe and Asia, on the ancient Silk Road. We understand Europe very well and are also a part of the Muslim world. We strive to ensure that the dialogue among civilizations, the humanitarian dialogue becomes even stronger and intensifies.
Of course, the discussions will focus on these issues. I am sure that the discussions will be very successful. To confirm what I have said, I should note that many initiatives not only in the humanitarian but also in other areas have been successful.
Two years ago Azerbaijan successfully conducted the most representative song contest of Europe and perhaps even the world – the “Eurovision”. All the guests were very pleased. Next year Baku will host the inaugural European Games – they are unofficially called European Olympics. This is a very significant event because games of the Olympic level have not been held in Europe before. Azerbaijan put forward its candidacy and the European Olympic family showed great confidence in us.
In 2017, Islamic Solidarity Games will also be held in Baku. Over the course of just two years, both European and Islamic games will be held in Azerbaijan. This is also a confirmation of my words. This is our role, and we aspire to unite peoples. I also want to note that a very important and historic decision was made last month – the 2020 European Football Cup will be held in Baku too. Only 13 cities of Europe were selected and one of them is Baku. This is what the present-day Azerbaijan is like. We are a member of the European family, we are a member of the Muslim family, and we are showing that this is possible. One does not and should not reject the other. Undergoing a process of development, our country shows that when there are strong and thought-out policies and positive trends in society, one can achieve great success.
Dear guests, let me welcome you once again. I know that among the guests there are people who are already familiar with our country. There are also those who have come here for the first time. I am sure that this forum will be very interesting for you. You will share your valuable thoughts and, at the same time, become more familiar with our country.
I wish the forum success. Thank you!
- welcoming the creation of the Baku International Centre of Multiculturalism;
- taking into account the growing significance of international humanitarian cooperation and effective partnership in this sphere in ensuring harmonious, sustainable development and the elimination and prevention of political and military conflicts proliferating throughout the world;
- considering as part of a broad exchange of opinions, such problems as:
- drawing attention to the fact that stimulating the economy by constantly increasing demand contradicts the principles of sustainable development and is already coming up against serious resource, ethical and humanitarian restrictions and leading to irreversible global ecological consequences;
- seeking to make our contribution to ensuring long-term sustainable development, founded on contemporary knowledge, human potential and the principles of ecological civilization;
- recognizing that in conditions of globalization our common future can be shaped through the effective, scientifically based mobilization, in accordance with humanitarian ethical principles, of the whole intellectual, cultural, social human potential and natural diversity existing on our planet;
- taking into account that effective responses to the challenges of the 21st century require the broad integration of contemporary scientific and traditional knowledge with information technology and for them to be made universally accessible on the global and national level;
- underlining the special role of civil society and the mass media in raising the information level in society and expanding participation in the planning and achievement of objectives in the sphere of humanitarian development;
- calling upon political, cultural and academic elites, international organizations and representatives of civil society and the mass media to strengthen further humanitarian cooperation in order to ensure the sustainability of development;
- realizing that under conditions of limited resources, their best use on the principles of sustainable development and humanitarian ethics should be built on achievements already made;
- realizing that under conditions of limited resources, their best use on the principles of sustainable development and humanitarian ethics should be built on achievements already made;
- considering as part of a broad exchange of opinions, such problems as:
- Comparative research into multiculturalism: from theory to humanitarian practice
- Media transformation in the digital age: new development trends
- The role of interdisciplinary integration in innovative development
- Sustainable development and ecological civilization
- Challenges of globalization: between tradition and transformation
- Molecular biology and biotechnology in the 21st century: theory, practice, prospects
- Converging technologies and outlines of the future: landmark challenges of the 21st century
- Humanism as a basic value in the postmodern era
- we note that the expansion and further development of international humanitarian cooperation is the key factor in an effective response to contemporary challenges and threats and enables the accessibility and expanded application of contemporary management and production technologies, ensuring the well-being of present and future generations;
- we recognize that the Baku Humanitarian Forum, traditionally held on the initiative of the Republic of Azerbaijan, constitutes an important contribution to the development of multiculturalism, based on humanitarian practice as the basic value of the post-modern era;
- we bear witness that a range of countries, including the Republic of Azerbaijan, have achieved significant progress in recent years in the planning and management of sustainable development which has been reflected in the figures and reports of international organizations;
- we pay special attention to the need for further development of international cooperation to transform society from a society of consumption into a humanitarian society of consumption on the basis of sensible sufficiency, as well as to achieve a way of life that meets the demands of ecological civilization;
- we recognize the importance of the application of nano- and bio-technologies, based on the latest scientific achievements, and the convergence of contemporary and traditional technologies to ensure food and medicinal security, raise the quality of life and achieve the human potential for longevity;
- we acknowledge that the development of human potential through the integration of the latest knowledge and skills, including interdisciplinary, in a programme of continuing education, as well as the expansion of cooperation in this sphere, are the key humanitarian components of sustainable development;
- we note the ever growing role of the mass media and civil society in achieving the goals of humanitarian development through increased awareness and expanded participation in the humanization of development;
- we call on the various international and national structures specializing in humanitarian development systematically to hold forums, conferences and round tables aimed at creating an atmosphere of tolerance, mutual respect and resolving contemporary global and local challenges;
- we note the need for such forums to be held annually and express our profound gratitude to the President and government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and all the organizers of the Baku International Humanitarian Forum for holding this major, productive event;
- we consider it necessary to pass this declaration and to make use of it to strengthen cooperation in humanitarian development.
Summary of speeches by participants of the plenary session
IV Baku International Humanitarian Forum proceeded with plenary session after official opening ceremony on October 2.
Azad RAHIMOV, Minister of Youth and Sport of Azerbaijan was chairing the first part of the session which was attended by former presidents. He spoke about the measures taken towards the development of humanitarian field in the country during the years of independence. The Minister also mentioned that multicultural dialogue platform had already been established in Azerbaijan.
Arnold RÜÜTEL, former President of Estonia touched upon existing ecological problems in the world, emphasized the concern caused by the reduction of flora and fauna species. He also said that in recent years the number of poor countries in the world was increasing and that led to serious problems such as social inequality. Arnold Rüütel talked about actions implemented for achieving ecological balance and contributions made to global cultural diversity.
Stjepan MESIC, former President of Croatia spoke about the issue of restoring faith among nations. He added that terrorism actions occurring in the international community were unacceptable and restoration of relations based on faith became necessity. Stjepan Mesic condemned cases of violence and supported peaceful solutions of controversial issues.
Valdis ZATLERS, former President of Latvia drew attention to the achievement of goals defined in the previous Forum. As to him the ground of tension in the world is not a religion but other reasons and he added that wars were threat for peace. From this aspect, the guest emphasized the importance of peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabagh conflict.
Vytautas LANDSBERGIS, former President of Lithuania highlighted the peace –as a basic idea of Baku Humanitarian Forum and said that although Azerbaijan faced fact of invasion, it still demonstrated ideas of establishing stable state.
Enrico LETTA, former President of the Council of Ministers of Italy talked about development of relations between countries and importance of Forum. Mentioning the relationships of EU with South Caucasian region Enrico Letto expressed his opinion that economic and social cooperation with Azerbaijan should be expanded. He expressed his certainty about holding the first European Games in high level in our country and said: “We are very delighted that Azerbaijan takes parts in European partnership.”
Sheikha Fariha Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al SABAH, President of the Kuwait Association for the Ideal Family noted that our country was in the center of attention of the world experiencing crisis and the formula of gaining accomplishments in such a world was being observed in Azerbaijan.
Hadil Fontes da Rocha VIANNA, Vice Minister for Cooperation, Culture and Trade Promotion, Ministry of External Relations of Brazil, expressed his gratitude for the invitation to the Forum. Vice Minister spoke about the work carried out in the field of cultural diversity and accentuated the essence of cultural pluralism for each country.
Gabriela CUEVAS, Senator, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate, touching upon the importance of debated issues stated that world union should strive for solution of existing conflicts through negotiations; norms and principles of international law should be preserved. He particularly noted the necessity of unifying efforts against terrorism.
H.E. Mr. Mohamed Sameh AMR, Chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO, expressed his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for the high-level organization of Forum. He mentioned that UNESCO had pursued ideas of humanism since its establishment and appreciated maintenance of world cultural diversity as a profound criterion. He emphasized that aims of Baku Forum overlapped with those of UNESCO.
Akif ALIZADE, Academician and President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences was chairing the 2nd part of the session and said that it was a great platform in terms of bringing well-known scientists, politicians from all parts of the world together.
Erwin NEHER, Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology and Medicine noted that by accomplishing profound achievements in the fields of chemistry, biotechnology, and physiology in recent years great results were obtained towards the elimination of regenerative diseases. He emphasized that serious researches were conducted during last decade and China, USA, and Japan held enormous projects associated with the investigation of human brain.
Rudolph Arthur MARCUS, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry drew attention to the fact that because of inequality in welfare of people in the world our modern community suffered from different adversities. He added that for eliminating this problem, great projects in the field of science, education, and medicine should be carried out in relatively less developed countries.
Kary Banks MULLİS, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry said that precluding diseases, problems in the modern world was critical issue for scientists. He also mentioned that remaining of environmental problems, wars, hatred among people, violence and other crimes led world to the catastrophe gradually.
Rudolf Martin ZİNKERNAGEL, Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine stated that human physiology should be learned deeply for perceiving problems occurring in the world. From this viewpoint, qualified primary education, educating young and well-educated teachers is intensely essential. It is overall necessary for the protection of human life.
Robert Betts LAUGHLIN, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics said that in our modern world computer technology prevailed over physical human features. He stressed that it was already time to contemplate about hazards of electronic revolution.
Kurt WÜTHRICH, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry expressed his proud to speak at the beautiful architectural monument Heyder Aliyev Center. He said that as a result of implementation of different scientific inventions of various centuries important achievements were obtained in the field of economy, medicine, technology, etc.
Finn KYDLAND, Nobel Prize Winner in Economics expressed his delight for being in Baku for the fourth time and spoke about the steps taken by the states to overcome crisis and its impacts. As to him world economic crisis made states encounter with the obligation of defining precise predictions related to economic development.
David Jonathan GROSS, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics stated that the problems that threaten humanity can only be resolved by joint efforts of the world community. Disputes should not be settled by force. History shows that all conflicts result in terrible human lost. The scientist mentioned that cases of chauvinism and violence have often been observed in recent years which cause big difficulties. We have to join our efforts to deal with such negative cases.
Theodor Wolfgang HÄNSCH, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics stressed that Azerbaijan attached great importance to humanitarian values. “I am glad that today we witness the transfer of “black gold” to human capital” – he said. He also mentioned about rapid development in the field of technology and appreciated the trends of scientific circles to direct their resources to this field.
George Fitzgerald SMOOT, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics said that we had to protect our planet both for ourselves and for future generations and should be aware of the impacts we had on environment. Sustainable development pursued by the governments in economy should be provided in the field of environmental protection.
Mrs. Ada YONATH, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry expressed her gratitude for invitation to the Forum and hospitality she witnessed in our country. In her speech, she talked about human longevity and mentioned about successes gained against various diseases due to development of medicine. She also stressed that serious researches were being conducted towards the gradual change of genetic code.
Peter Arthur DIAMOND, Nobel Prize Winner in Economic Sciences talked about employment. He stated that job made person feel internal satisfaction along with causing income. He stressed the importance of diversification of the employments policies by the governments to defend economy against crises. P.Diamond evaluated the transfer of manpower from one field to another and the large number of competent people with leadership skills in each sector as an important factor in the solution of employment problem.
Thomas Christian SUDHOF, Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine appreciated contribution of multiculturalism to the development of science and stated that the role of science is to spread and promote human values. He stressed the importance of the roles of scohlars in pragmatic decision-making and reasoning process, espaecially trust of policy makers in scientific circles.
Arieh WARSHEL, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry talked about positive impact of scientific achievement on society. The scientist pointed out that human life would be better due to significant scientific achievements.
Akif Alizade mentioned the establishment of the Institute of Biophysics attached to the ANAS and thanked George Fitzgerald Smoot, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics for his cooperation with our country in this field.
At the end of the plenary session, Akif Alizade appreciated the importance of the participation of the renowned scientists and Nobel Prize Winners in the Forum and their speeches in terms of significant contribution to Azerbaijan and world science.
In the third part of the session, the reports of the chairpersons of the “round tables” to be held in the VI Baku International Humanitarian Forum.
Chairperson Mikayil JABBAROV, Ministry of Education welcomed the guests and spoke about the importance of the Forum held in Baku for the fourth time. The Minister said that statements made both in the official part and plenary meeting of the Forum would constitute key topics of the “round tables” to be held on October 3. Speaking about important measures taken in the fields of science and education in our country in recent years Minister Mikayil Jabbarov stressed that substantial reforms had been carried out in this direction in Azerbaijan and state strategy on the development of education had been adopted in the previous year.
Antonio VILLARAIGOSA, Former Speaker of the California State Assembly, former Mayor of Los Angeles spoke about issues to be discussed in the round table “Comparative Research into Multiculturalism: from Theory to Humanitarian Practice” chaired by him. He emphasized that multiculturalism affected a great number of life processes and crisis appeared in this field caused very complicated problems. A. Villaraigosa stated that humanitarian issues, particularly those relating to multiculturalism were current issues of our time. Azerbaijan is a multinational, multicultural country. The positive atmosphere here is sought in many parts of world.
Mikhail GUSMAN, First Deputy Director General of ITAR- TASS Russia News Agency, chairperson of the round table “Media Transformation in the Digital Age: New Development Trends” in his speech stated that Azerbaijan was his native country and he felt very happy of being there: “I have attended the first Forum as well. The Forum has obviously improved and enriched thenceforth. I am sure that Baku International Humanitarian Forum will exceed Davos Economic Forum in future for its significance”. M. Gusman pointed out the issues to be discussed in the round table, including problems of the modern media, the role of mass media in the digital era, and some other current issues.
Eden MAMUT, Secretary General of the Black Sea Universities Network in Romania will chair the round table “The Role of Interdisciplinary Integration in Innovative Development”. He stressed the importance of the measures taken towards the development of modern science and expanding the educational opportunities all over the world. He mentioned that 21 reports of the specialists from various countries would be heard in the round table and a number of issues on the topic would be highlighted.
John LAWRENCE, Adjunct Professor of Columbia University informed about the issues to be discussed in the round table “Sustainable Development and Ecological Civilization” chaired by him. Speaking about the importance of the ecological civilization American scholar pointed out that human development index was very important in the modern world: “This index is in fact regarded very simple. Some countries, including Azerbaijan has changed its standards on the basis of this.
Hikmet KOÇAK, Rector of Ataturk University, Turkey, Professor stated that the round table “Challenges of Globalization: between Tradition and Transformation” to be chaired by him would deal with rather philosophical debates. He mentioned that the model of human being and society appeared in the process of globalization and every individual should contribute to the development of society.
Karol SIKORA, Chief Medical Officer of the Cancer Partners UK pointed out that the round table “Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in the 21st Century: Theory, Practice, Prospects” would cover the recent achievements, future and problems of the medical science. He said that revolutionary breakthrough was being observed in technology. “If we can study the direction of movement of the molecules causing cancer, we will be able to diagnose at the initial stage”- he stated.
Ivan VIDENOVICH Program Management Officer, Department of Technical Cooperation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), chairperson of the round table “Converging Technologies and Outlines of the Future: Landmark Challenges of the 21st Century” stated that development of educational sector was closely connected with that of communication and high information technologies. Approximately 60 representatives from 19 countries, including three Nobel Prize Winners would participate in our round table. “Azerbaijan is the country interested in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Azerbaijani scientists will touch upon this issue in their speeches”.
Walter SCHWIMMER, Former Secretary General of the Council of Europe emphasized that the round table “Humanism as a Basic Value in the Postmodern Era” chaired by him would be devoted to a very important and urgent topic. He stated that the round table would consider the increasing need for the shift of values in the postmodern era. “Azerbaijan also suffers from the long-standing conflict. Sustainable peace in the Caucasus is of the greatest importance for the region”.
At the end of the session, Minister M. Jabbarov expressed his gratitude to the participants and wished them good luck.
