Adoption of the declaration at the CIC. Photo: CIC
Participants in the First International Forum on Islamic Civilization, held in Uzbekistan, have adopted a declaration on preserving, studying, and promoting the civilizational heritage of Muslims, the press service of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan (CIC) reported.
The document expresses gratitude to Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the initiative he put forward in 2017 at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly. The creation of the CIC and the holding of the first international forum are described as its practical continuation.
The declaration's authors highlighted Muslims' contribution to the development of world science, education, art, architecture, and spiritual thought. The document also stresses the need to counter ignorance, extremism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and distorted perceptions of Islamic heritage.
The forum's centerpiece initiative was a proposal to establish a World Alliance of Islamic Civilization on the basis of the CIC. It would bring together international organizations, scientific and educational institutions, academies of sciences, museums, libraries, archives, centers for Islamic manuscripts, and research institutes.
The alliance's tasks include developing long-term international cooperation, implementing joint scientific, educational, cultural, museum, and digital projects, and consolidating efforts to preserve and study the heritage of Islamic civilization.
Another initiative is the creation of a global digital registry of Muslim cultural heritage, intended to bring together manuscripts, archival materials, museum collections, architectural monuments, intangible cultural heritage sites, and the results of scientific research.
Forum participants also proposed launching an international program, «Islamic Civilization — A Heritage for All Mankind,» and establishing an international award and an international fund for the study of Muslim heritage.
In addition, the declaration provides for a number of projects to promote cultural heritage: a global digital library, a multi-volume international encyclopedia of Islamic civilization, an annual report on the state of Muslim heritage, and an international youth forum.
A separate proposal calls for an international union of museums of Islamic culture, art, and civilization. It is meant to unite museums, galleries, and specialized institutions from different countries for joint exhibition, restoration, educational, research, and digital projects.
It is also proposed that the Forum's International Council, elected at the event, be retained as a permanent coordinating body. It will be tasked with consolidating participants' initiatives and preparing an international road map for joint action through 2030.
In conclusion, forum participants called on states, international organizations, universities, museums, libraries, and public associations to join efforts to implement the proposed initiatives «in the name of peace, mutual respect, enlightenment, and the preservation of the richest heritage of Islamic civilization."
The international forum, «Islamic Civilization: A Path of Peace, Tolerance, and Enlightenment,» is taking place in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Termez on July 7–11, 2026. It has drawn about 300 foreign guests — scholars, theologians, and representatives of international organizations from more than 40 countries.
The CIC was built in the Uzbek capital next to the Khast-Imam complex. The building is designed in the style of medieval architectural monuments, with four 34-meter portals and a 65-meter central dome. It houses a Quran hall, a 550-seat conference hall, and a museum whose exhibitions cover the entire history of Uzbekistan — from pre-Islamic times to the present day. The CIC is intended to serve as a platform for studying ancestral heritage and its contemporary interpretation in cooperation with the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan and with scientific and educational centers worldwide.
