Under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, the meeting of the Standing Committee for Arab Culture kicked off on January 15, 2023 at ALECSO headquarters in Tunis, in the presence of H.E. Ms. Hayat Guermazi, Tunisian Minister of Cultural Affairs, and with the participation of the members of the Committee, representatives of Member States.
In his opening remarks, the Director-General commended the significant role played by the Standing Committee for Arab Culture as a key partner in promoting the culture sector in the Arab World, strengthening joint Arab cultural action, and supporting ALECSO in implementing its culture-related programs in the Arab countries. He underscored the importance of the meeting held in preparation for the 24th session of the Conference of Arab Culture Ministers, to be hosted by Morocco late this year.
For her part, the Tunisian Culture Minister commended, in her statement to the meeting, the significant role undertaken by the Committee in promoting and strengthening joint Arab cultural work. She stressed that this meeting is much needed today amid the unprecedented circumstances suffered by the defenseless Palestinian people, causing the obliteration of Palestinian heritage, culture, architecture and all symbols of cultural memory. This, she added, prompts us all to support the Palestinian people by issuing a statement, approved by the Committee, asserting the Palestinians’ right to their land, as well as by organizing cultural events to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, implementing programs that confirm the Arab character of Al-Quds, activating the recommendation proclaiming Al-Quds as Permanent Capital of Arab Culture, and pursuing the process of inventorying and documenting the elements of Palestinian cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible.
The Chair of the Standing Committee for Arab Culture, representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Talal Al-Ruwais, highlighted the importance of joint Arab cultural cooperation in establishing a comprehensive vision and common and sustainable policies for cultural development. He called for supporting all efforts to promote Arab integration in all cultural sectors.
The agenda of the meeting, chaired by Dr. Talal Al-Ruwais and Dr. Hamid Al-Nawafli, Director of Culture Department, included a range of items, including the examination of a report on the main theme of the 23rd session of the Conference of Arab Culture Ministers (Culture and Green Future), held in Riyadh in December 2022, and preparations for the 10th edition of the Arab Poetry Day and the Arab Culture Symbol for 2024.
The meeting also discussed Qatar’s proposal to organize workshops on the inscription of intangible cultural heritage elements on the Representative List of UNESCO, and Algeria’s proposal to launch an Arab cooperation project in the field of theater, in addition to executive proposals regarding the mechanisms for the classification of Arab cultural institutions, and the mechanisms for the selection of Capitals of Arab Culture.
Among other agenda items, the meeting addressed the views and proposals of the Committee members to further enhance joint cultural work, along with the celebration of Tripoli as Capital of Arab Culture for 2024, and the main theme of the 24th Conference of Arab Culture Ministers, to be hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco in 2024.
