Master and management plans to be adopted to protect historical center of Bukhara

This instruction to the Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art is contained in the decree of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on preparations for the 43rd session of the General Conference of UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – in Samarkand in 2025. For the first time since 1985, the forum will be held outside of Paris.

The Foundation must develop the above documents based on UNESCO criteria and with the involvement of foreign experts, the resolution says.

Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was instructed to submit an official application to the Director General of UNESCO for Uzbekistan to join the International Research Center for the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Monuments.

In addition, the National Commission for UNESCO has been instructed to take measures to include cities of Uzbekistan, unique cultural sites and natural heritage sites in the UNESCO Network of Creative Cities and Learning Cities, as well as international lists, respectively.

The state of conservation of the cultural heritage monuments of Bukhara was previously considered at the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in September 2023. The next session will take place in July this year.

In its decision, the committee welcomed the decision of the Uzbek authorities to expand the moratorium on development and new work in the historical center by including a buffer zone in the moratorium until the development of a comprehensive master plan and management plan, as well as its approval by the UNESCO World Heritage Center.