The 22nd edition of the Conference of Arab Culture Ministers, organised by the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth in collaboration with the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific (ALECSO), kicked off today with the presence of 18 ministers in charge of cultural affairs in the Arab world and a number of important personalities. The conference takes place on Decemebr 19 and 20 at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth and Chair of the 22nd session, said: “The 22nd session of the conference is important as we look into the responsibilities to adopt the strategies to fulfill our cultural agenda.  The challenges of the past two years due to the pandemic, showed the importance of the cultural and creative industries in achieving sustainable development goals.

Her Excellency praised the role of ALECSO in coordinating joint Arab cultural work and stressed the importance of modernising Arab culture. “The UAE and some Arab countries have proposed future files to take our cultural agenda forward, and we hope to work hand in hand with other Arab countries as well as countries from around the world to promote dialogue and cultural cooperation.”

Her Excellency also stated that the UAE has proposed to review the results of the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) ahead of this conference, to use the outcomes to identify areas of joint Arab efforts in the cultural and creative industries. The sector is important for its contribution to the economy as well as creating job opportunities for the youth.”

Her Excellency noted that the UAE has prepared a scientific report on the status and future of the Arabic language, and suggested that it review the results of discussions and studies on the preservation and promotion of the Arabic language, to come up with joint initiatives to attract attention to the language on a global level.

“Arab youth are the future, and cultural institutions aim to serve this group and provide them with opportunities to achieve their goals and aspirations. For the success of any Arab cultural project, the UAE has proposed a meeting between ministers and Arab youth along with ALECSO, to forge communication between decision-makers in the cultural sector at the Arab level.”

His Excellency Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the Arab League, praised the decision to hold the session in conjunction with the Arabic Language Summit, which was organised by the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth. These events closely link culture and language, and are very relevant in today’s times especially in light of the difficult circumstances that the Arab world has been facing in the last decade, which have had an impact on all fields, including culture and thought.”

His speech focused on three main points. He stressed the importance of religious reform and the understanding of heritage. “Reform has been a core theme on the Arab agenda since the time of its first renaissance, but the reform project has stalled, was overshadowed by other intellectual, cultural and political projects, such as the national liberation project, as well as the project of Arabism and unity.”

The second issue that His Excellency spoke about was the concept of the national state, a concept that has emerged at the forefront of the intellectual and political agenda also during the last decade.  The third issue was about the openness of Arab culture and its communication with other cultures to keep up with the latest developments in global thought by raising the level of scientific production, accelerating the translation movement and promoting Arab digital content.

Her Excellency Dr. Inas Abdel Dayem, Minister of Culture of Egypt and Chair of the 21st Session of the Conference of Arab Culture Ministers, reviewed the results of the work of the previous sessions of the conference as the twentieth session issued the ‘Tunisia Declaration against Terrorism and for Tolerance and Solidarity among Peoples, Cultures and Religions’, and the twenty-first session issued the Cairo Statement on the ‘Arab cultural project facing the current challenges.’ The conference resulted in several decisions and recommendations that ALECSO shared with the member states.”

His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director General of ALECSO, said: “The World today relies heavily on the Internet, to ensure people-to-people communication, and to provide services in various fields including education, health, social, cultural and economic. We have achieved some of the goals through distance education and the implementation of virtual visits to archaeological sites, museums and through awareness programs. However, the biggest challenge in achieving these goals are technological, cognitive and material gaps between Arab states. We should address this as a priority and seek collective solutions that ensure social, economic and cultural sustainability for all.”

His Excellency explained that "The Arab Culture Ministers Conference presented the comprehensive plan for Arab culture to study and review its modernisation which was decided in the previous session. It was accompanied by a generous donation by the United Arab Emirates, when the Arab countries approved this project. We have adopted the outcomes of the past sessions of the conference with great success and will continue to do so in the future.”

The 22nd session of the Conference of Arab Culture Ministers brings together representatives of governments, policymakers and international organisations, and is scheduled to discuss a number of topics, the most important of which is the development of the five-year working map of joint Arab files for the registration of intangible heritage with UNESCO. It will also discuss the comprehensive plan of Arab culture and modernisation, with the aim of promoting cultural cooperation between Arab countries and other countries of the world. The conference works to unify Arab efforts to develop the cultural and creative industry ecosystem, and discuss the programme for the ambassador for Arab culture.

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About the Ministry of Culture and Youth:

The Ministry of Culture and Youth works to enrich the cultural ecosystem of the UAE by supporting the country’s cultural, art and heritage institutions. It provides a platform for artists and innovators, promotes cross-cultural dialogue, and delivers dynamic productions and experiences that represent the UAE’s rich and eclectic culture on national as well as international level. The Ministry’s key mandates include investing in youth and empowering them and building a knowledge-based economy for a sustainable future. The Ministry is also entrusted with regulating the media sector in the UAE by formulating and implementing legislation, regulations, and standards for licensing media and media activities.