Afghanistan was elected as member of the executive board of the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO during 40th UN General Conference on Education, Science and Culture in Paris, the country's foreign ministry announced on Thursday.

The ministry said that the selection is a major achievement in terms of elevating Afghanistan’s national image and highlighting the country’s role at the decision-making level of an important UN organisation.
Afghanistan secured seat in the board as a result of a constrictive series of negotiations and effective efforts of the Permanent Mission of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in UNESCO and ISESCO, it said.
The Executive Board is one of the three main bodies of the UNESCO besides the General Conference and the Secretariat.
Currently, Afghanistan has two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Afghanistan. They are the Minaret of Jam and Buddhas of Bamiyan.