The Arab Group to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is organising the Arab Week at UNESCO on 4-5 November 2024, which will be held for the first time in the history of Arab countries’ cooperation with UNESCO for more than half a century, at the organisation’s headquarters in Paris.
Saudi Arabia’s National Committee for Education, Culture and Science said in a statement that with the participation of all Arab countries, the event, which is an initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will highlight the richness and diversity of Arab culture and civilization, promote intercultural dialogue, and contribute to the achievement of cultural development goals, as the event is a celebration of the cultural richness of the Arab world through various literatures and arts, and the week will provide a vast space for intercultural dialogue.
The ‘Arab Week at UNESCO’ initiative reflects the mutual trust between Arab countries and the real interest in the growth and prosperity of such major civilisational initiatives. The ‘Arab Week at UNESCO’ initiative was welcomed and praised by Arab Ministers of Culture, who unanimously approved the Saudi initiative at the ALECSO General Conference meeting in May 2024, making the initiative a reality with wide participation from Arab countries, which enables its sustainability and success in the long term.
While the Arab Week at UNESCO initiative is an ideal gateway for cultural prosperity between the Arab world and the West by building stronger cultural bridges, it provides a great opportunity to showcase the richness of Arab culture, the diversity of the Arab world, the richness of its heritage, and the richness of its human and civilisational contributions throughout the ages, and reflects the success story of the first Arab gathering at UNESCO that transcends geographical boundaries to achieve ambitious goals and genuine cooperation to highlight the richness of Arab culture.
The Arab Week at UNESCO includes cultural and artistic exhibitions, including a market for Arab cultural products, an exhibition on Arabic calligraphy, an exhibition on photos of heritage sites in the Arab world registered with UNESCO, an Arab music pavilion, an Arabic cooking event, a pavilion on Arab handicrafts, and an Arab fashion pavilion.
The work programme for Arab Week at UNESCO will also include a seminar on the Arabic novel, a seminar on artificial intelligence, a seminar on Arabic calligraphy, a seminar on children’s literature, and a seminar on the Janabiyah shilla, while the accompanying performances will include an Arabic calligraphy competition, a showcase of works by artists and designers, and a presentation on the art of painting.
The Arab Week at UNESCO initiative is expected to achieve results such as enhancing the status of Arab culture at UNESCO, developing new partnerships between Arab countries, UNESCO and other member states, promoting intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, ensuring the sustainability and long-term success of the Arab Week at UNESCO initiative, and motivating young people to take an interest in Arab culture, according to the statement.
TunisianMonitorOnline (Dhouha Talik – English: NejiMed)
