President Mohammad Khatami, at a meeting with the secretary of the UNESCO General Conference, Ahmad Jalali, here Saturday hailed the humanitarianism of the UN's cultural organization.
Khatami
expressed hope that the true and glorious image of Iran, the Third World, and
the East would be presented to the rest of the world through UNESCO, paving the
way for humanity to benefit from this cultural potential and civilizational
heritage.
He
stressed the importance of the cultured Iranian nation's participation in this
world body, saying qualitative and long-term planning on dialogue among
civilizations and cultures would lay the groundwork for world peace and
security.
Men
of thought and culture should play the main role in this dialogue, Khatami
said, and urged governments to pave the way for them and encourage
decision-makers to use this dialogue to educate future generations and manage
their affairs.
He
said Iran's proposal to establish the Avicenna Award on Ethics in Science is
indicative of the great attention Iranian and Islamic civilization pays to
moral principles.
The
glorious scientific era of the Iranian and Islamic world is strong proof that
moral principles are the essence of our scientists' work and the spirit of
Islamic teachings regarding science and knowledge, Khatami added.
Jalali
said that extending the dialogue among civilizations and cultures to all
sectors of science, education, and communications is among the long-term goals
of UNESCO.
He
said that the first UNESCO Avicenna Award will be granted for the best
scientific thesis on the subject of ethics in science.
The
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was
established in 1946 "for the purpose of advancing, through the
educational, scientific and cultural relations of the peoples of the world, the
objectives of international peace and the common welfare of mankind."
It
is headquartered in Paris and has 188 member states and four associate member
countries.
Source:
MEHR News Agency