QNA
Paris
Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) HE Dr Nasser bin Hamad Al Hanzab highlighted Qatar’s vibrant contributions to the recently concluded ‘Arab Week at UNESCO’ in Paris. He noted that Qatar’s participation underscored the depth and richness of Qatari heritage, deeply rooted in its Arab and Islamic identity, while also showcasing the nation’s modern achievements in civilization and cultural projects. These advancements have fostered Qatar’s active engagement and mutual respect with diverse global cultures and civilizations, embodying Qatar’s commitment to promoting cross-cultural understanding and dialogue.
He said that Qatar participated with the Arab brothers in the Arab Week at UNESCO, which gave this initiative the utmost importance, especially with the unification of Arab participation and its endeavour to highlight its rich culture, customs, and authentic traditions to world countries present in the UNESCO organisation.
He pointed out that Qatar has always been one of the first Arab countries to seek to enhance the presence of Arab and Islamic culture in UNESCO, given that this international cultural organisation represents a gathering and meeting place for all cultures and countries of the world.
He added that Qatar is committed to highlighting the significance of Arab culture in its universal and human dimensions through international cultural and sporting events. The most prominent example of this is the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which Qatar successfully organised, providing a valuable opportunity for the world to experience the richness of Arab culture and its human contributions to the development of many civilizations through the Arabic language, human sciences, cross-cultural exchange, and both tangible and intangible heritage.
He pointed out that Qatar, through its significant presence at UNESCO, has contributed to promoting Arab culture by presenting various exhibitions, events, and cultural initiatives, all aimed at enhancing the visibility of Arab tangible and intangible heritage on the international stage.
He said Qatar believes in the importance of cultural diplomacy as an essential tool for engaging with other cultures and strengthening platforms for understanding, while building bridges of communication with people around the world. He recalled that UNESCO is the largest global platform for activating the role of cultural diplomacy, and for this reason, Qatar is working with all UNESCO member states to promote this concept, aiming to foster stability, peace, tolerance, and human values and principles worldwide.
The Arab Week at UNESCO was organised by the Arab Group at UNESCO, with distinguished Qatari participation and the presence of representatives from the permanent delegations of Arab countries to the UN organization, members of the diplomatic corps of Arab and international countries in France, as well as a group of officials and leaders from UNESCO.
The week’s activities included 22 booths shared by Arab countries to highlight their culture, heritage, history, and aspects of their civilization.
