The Charter of Cyrus the Great was registered as the first international human rights document

The 43rd General Conference of UNESCO in Samarkand recognized the “Cyrus Charter” as the world’s first written human rights document with the full consensus of the member countries. This decision establishes Iran as the founder of the human thought of freedom, justice, tolerance and respect for cultural diversity in the field of world civilization.

In a historic event that was approved today at the 43rd General Conference of UNESCO, the “Charter of Cyrus the Great” was officially approved by the member countries of this world organization as a fundamental document in the history of human civilization and the first written expression of the principles of freedom, justice, tolerance and respect for cultural diversity.

This resolution, which was presented by the consensus of the members and as a result of the continuous efforts of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the close cooperation of Tajikistan, obliges UNESCO to institutionalize the teachings derived from the Cyrus Charter in its educational, cultural and human rights programs.

During this meeting, the countries of Egypt, Iraq, Colombia, India, Nigeria, Algeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, Senegal, Armenia and Poland were among the governments that supported the adoption of this historic document as the “Universal Charter of Human Rights and Cultural Diversity”.

According to the provisions of this resolution, the Director General of UNESCO has been assigned to integrate the principles contained in the Cyrus Charter in the framework of programs related to social justice, intercultural dialogue, education for peace and sustainable development, and encourage governments to expand global awareness of the values ​​contained in this historical document.

This achievement not only recreates the civilizational position of Iran in the world memory of mankind, but also aligns with the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, especially goal 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and goal 17 (participation to achieve the goals). The Cyrus Charter, as a symbol of Iran’s cultural diplomacy, now speaks the language of UNESCO; with a message that after twenty-five centuries is still an echo of humanity, justice and cultural coexistence.