RESTRICTION: USERS MUST CREDIT "UZBEKISTAN CULTURE MINISTRY" ---EDITORIAL USE ONLY --- SAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN - OCT. 29, 2025 - UZBEKISTAN CULTURE MINISTRY - RESTRICTED: Uzbekistan’s historic city of Samarkand is preparing to host the UNESCO General Conference, bringing together representatives from around the world to discuss global cultural, educational, and scientific cooperation. The 43rd session of the General Conference is scheduled to take place in Samarkand between Oct. 30 - Nov. 13. This marks the first time the conference is being held in Central Asia, and the first session outside UNESCO’s Paris headquarters in four decades. The General Conference – UNESCO's main governing body bringing together its 194 Member States – will meet to determine the Organization's vision and general policy. It meets every two years, and is attended by Member States and Associate Members, together with observers for non-Member States, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Each country has one vote, irrespective of its size or the extent of its contribution to the budget.