The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) held, on October 13, 2020, a remote meeting involving international and regional, governmental and non-governmental, organizations, to present their actions and initiatives in support of Arab States (Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Sudan) facing threats to their cultural properties.
The participating institutions and organizations included the League of Arab States, UNESCO, OIC, ISESCO, ICOMOS, ICOM, IRCICA, ALIPH, ICCROM, ARC-WH, and ATO. The meeting was also attended by a number of Arab heritage officials and international experts.
In his opening statement, Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, emphasized that the meeting offers an opportunity to review the action plans and initiatives of the relevant international and regional organizations to support the efforts of Arab States whose heritage properties have been damaged as a result of recent disasters. The aim, he added, is to develop a joint plan of intervention in order to avoid duplication of action and waste of effort and money, especially in these delicate circumstances experienced by the whole world.
Heritage officials from Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Sudan highlighted the damage caused to heritage properties in their respective countries, and addressed the initiatives presented in response to this situation.
At the close of the meeting, a proposal was made to set up a small working group to identify the priorities, types and levels of intervention, and to propose two pilot projects to be launched in the closest future.
