TEHRAN – The head of the National Committee for Management of Social Transformations (MOST) has called for UNESCO to play an effective role in safeguarding knowledge, ensuring uninterrupted access to learning, and rebuilding academic centers damaged during the US-Israeli imposed war against the country.

Highlighting the destructive impact of conflicts on educational institutions and human capacities, Seyyed Ziae Hashemi said the international community needs to pay close attention to these outcomes, IRNA reported.

The official made the remarks while addressing the extraordinary session of the Intergovernmental Council of MOST Program, which took place at UNESCO headquarters on October 1 in Paris; the official and the Secretary General of Iran’s National Commission for UNESCO, Hassan Fartousi, attended the session online.

Referring to the impacts of the US-Israeli war against Iran, and the damage inflicted on certain educational and scientific institutions, cultural heritage and civilian infrastructures, he called for UNESCO to utilize its capacities for rebuilding scientific and educational capacities, strengthening international cooperation, and supporting sustainable development.

“International responses must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each crisis, while simultaneously placing the fundamental principles of protecting human lives, safeguarding knowledge, and ensuring the continuity of learning at the heart of these efforts,” he added.

“The catastrophic dimensions of war in Gaza have inflicted irreparable damage on civilians, educational centers, cultural and scientific activities; the international bodies have to make it clear what they can do within the frameworks of BRIDGES and MOST to protect knowledge, sustain education and research,” he added.

The restoration of the right to education for Afghan girls and women was another issue raised by the official.

Fartousi, for his part, emphasized that science is not merely a driver of industry or technology, but an essential part of human life and a factor that enhances our understanding of the world. Access to knowledge, equal learning opportunities, and universal participation in research are fundamental rights in human society.

Referring to UNESCO’s approach to open science, he called for the establishment of specific mechanisms that prevents the monopolization of knowledge, ensure the free flow of knowledge, and strike a balance between supporting researchers and universal access to science.

Highlighting the challenges faced by researchers due to unilateral and coercive measures, the official noted that BRIDGES frame work needs to propose practical solutions to remove barriers to scientific cooperation, prevent concentration of knowledge and power, and consolidate the concept of knowledge as a shared heritage and asset of humanity.

The Intergovernmental Council (IGC) of the MOST Program was established by UNESCO Member States in 1994. It is composed of 35 Member States elected by the General Conference, whose representatives meet every two years to guide and oversee the planning and implementation of the MOST Program. The IGC defines the MOST Program’s broad priorities, reviews its activities and achievements, and helps strengthen the link between social and human sciences research and public policy.

Through its work, the IGC provides a platform for Member States to exchange on contemporary social transformations and to promote more inclusive, evidence-based policies aligned with national priorities.

Attacking universities is a “crossing of red lines”

In June, Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Hossein Simaei-Sarraf, said that attacking universities is a crossing of red lines, highlighting that many universities and educational centers in the country were targeted by the United States and Israel during the recent war.

When a university is targeted, in fact, one of the most authentic centers of culture and civilization is attacked, and the harm is directed at the entire scientific community of the world, msrt.ir quoted Simaei-Sarraf as saying.

The official made the remarks while addressing the tenth meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Education Ministers, which took place in Minsk, Belarus, on June 16. A delegation led by the science minister attended the meeting.

Elaborating on the US-Israeli military attacks on Iran, destruction, and assassinations of Iranian universities and scientists in the past year, he emphasized that universities should be safe havens for thought, dialogue, and hope, rather than victims of conflicts.

The official raised a question, asking participants, “Will the international community allow the most authentic centers of civilization to fall victim to violence?”, and urged the global scientific community and international organizations to adopt a clearer, more responsible, and decisive stance in defending the security of universities, scientists, and scientific centers.

Silence in the face of these aggressions will lead to constant violence against science and civilization, he added.

MT/MG