At the invitation of the UNESCO Maghreb Office, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization took part, on May 20, 2022 in Tunis, Tunisia, in the closing ceremony of the project on “Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage by strengthening national competencies in Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania”.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Hayet Guermazi, Tunisian Minister of Culture, and Eng. Karim Hendili, Director of UNESCO Office in Rabat, as well as by representatives from the embassies of Spain and Norway in Tunisia, the permanent representative of Mauritania to UNESCO, along with experts from Tunisia, Mauritania, Morocco, and Libya.
In his opening address, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Fethi Jerray, expert at the Culture Department, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, highlighted the importance of cooperation with UNESCO and with the Tunisian Ministry of Culture in various programs related to heritage in general, and intangible cultural heritage in particular. He reviewed some of the main programs implemented by ALECSO as part of joint Arab action. These programs are designed, inter alia, to upgrade the qualifications of Arab experts and to coordinate joint Arab files to be submitted for inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. He urged Arab States that have not yet ratified the 2003 Convention to promptly make this step, and called for giving more attention to intangible cultural heritage and for leveraging the relevant programs implemented by ALECSO and other international and regional partners.
