Paris, March 1 (No.2001-30) - UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura said today he was shocked at the announcement that the destruction of statues had begun in Afghanistan, despite various initiatives undertaken since Monday to convince the Taliban to reverse their decision.

Mr Matsuura declared: “In Afghanistan, they are destroying statues that the entire world considers to be masterpieces. And this is being done in the name of an interpretation of the Muslim faith that is not recognised anywhere else in the world. This iconoclastic determination shocks me, as it shocks all those who have a distinct vision of the dignity, respect and tolerance of man and religion. In committing these acts of vandalism, the Taliban are not helping either Afghanistan or Islam to make progress.”

The Director-General added: “Yesterday, I asked the Ambassador of Pakistan, one of the few countries that has maintained direct contact with the Taliban, to do everything possible to rally Islamabad’s support for our efforts to stop this destruction. I have also contacted representatives from other Islamic countries - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran and Tajikistan - as well as the President and the Secretary of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. They have all expressed their unconditional support and have pledged to do all that they can to put a stop to these destructions. Today, I have convened a meeting of the Permanent Delegates to UNESCO from the 54 Member States that belong to the Islamic Conference, to take place later this afternoon. It is urgent that we reach agreement on a solution. I cannot believe that we will fail.”

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