Geneva, Nukus, 8 April 2025 – At the Aral Culture Summit initiated by the Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) and ALIPH’s newest board member, H.E. Gayane Umerova, Valéry Freland, Executive Director of ALIPH, announced a new call for projects in partnership with the European Union, via the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI). The initiative aims to strengthen ongoing efforts to address the growing threat that climate change and disasters pose to cultural heritage across Central Asia — specifically in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
This funding is being provided by the European Union and the granting lifecycle will be overseen by ALIPH. Freland announced two types of grants: small (up to EUR 27,000) and medium (up to EUR 180,000). These will support concrete, local initiatives with clear, measurable socio-economic impacts. This marks ALIPH’s second climate-focused call for projects in under a year. The European Union has joined forces with ALIPH to help safeguard both the tangible and intangible heritage in the region, in partnership with local authorities and cultural heritage institutions.
The call is open to institutions, private organisations, universities, and research centers engaged in heritage protection. Proposals are due by Thursday, 31 July 2025, 3 PM CET, with funding decisions expected by December 2025 at the latest.
Learn more and apply here: ALIPH Call for Projects
About the European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies, so that everyone can benefit.
About ALIPH
Our cultural heritage is at risk. Conflict, climate change, and disasters are threatening what reflects our identities and tells our collective history. Art and artifacts, historical buildings and archaeological sites, stories and traditions… cultural heritage is part of our common humanity and a compass for our future.
The International alliance for the protection of heritage (ALIPH) is the main global fund dedicated to its protection in conflict, post-conflict, and crisis areas. ALIPH supports the people on the ground who take concrete measures to protect or restore museums, sites and monuments, and intangible heritage in the most challenging contexts. ALIPH is a first responder in times of conflict and crisis, providing quick and flexible support within hours or days to prevent heritage from being lost forever. Since its creation in Geneva in 2017, ALIPH has supported over 500 projects in 42 countries. The Foundation carries out its mission thanks to the support of its nine member States (France, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, China, Morocco, Luxembourg, Cyprus, and Uzbekistan), its three private members (Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan, Getty Trust, and Fondation Gandur pour l’Art), and a dozen other donors. Together, this ALIPH family is committed to supporting professionals, communities, and their legacies. Together, we are protecting heritage to ensure sustainable development and to build peace.
About ACDF
The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) preserves, promotes and nurtures Uzbekistan’s heritage, arts and culture. Positioned at the forefront of Uzbekistan’s cultural development, ACDF is committed to fostering the cultural ecosystem of the country, driving the creative economy, and providing opportunities for practitioners on a local, regional and global stage. ACDF believes that culture and heritage are vital in shaping society, uniting communities, bridging generations, and facilitating cross-cultural conversations.
In Tashkent, ACDF has successfully led the fourth edition of the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) (2-4 October 2024) and currently spearheads the inaugural Aral Culture Summit (4-6 April 2025), Uzbekistan’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (April – October 2025), the renovation of the Centre for Contemporary Art in Tashkent, the construction of the new State Museum of Arts designed by Tadao Ando, and the restoration and partial reconstruction of the Palace of the Grand Duke of Romanov. In Bukhara, ACDF is launching the first Bukhara Biennial in September 2025. ///nCa, 10 April 2025 (in cooperation with the EU Delegation to Turkmenistan)