The State of Qatar emphasized on Wednesday the importance of joint cultural work at a time when culture has become both a goal and a means for sustainable development, noting that it has given great attention to developing and enhancing the role of culture.
During the participation with a delegation from the Ministry of Culture, headed by Assistant Undersecretary for Cultural Affairs Dr. Ghanim bin Mubarak Al Ali, at the 13th Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World in Jeddah under the theme "Impact of Culture on Socio-Economic Development," Qatar highlighted its continuous efforts during its presidency of the 12th Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World to achieve the pillars of the "Doha Declaration on the Renewal of Cultural Work in the Islamic World."
This declaration has served as a fundamental reference for protecting, preserving, and digitizing heritage, including the documentation and archiving of national heritage and the preparation of multiple files to register heritage elements on the World Heritage List, recognizing the deep connection between heritage and national identity.
In his speech at the conference, Dr. Al Ali stated that the State of Qatar has strived to provide unlimited support for community and youth initiatives to highlight the role of the creative economy in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including the development of the publishing industry and the flourishing of the crafts sectors.
He expressed his confidence that the outcomes of this meeting would positively enrich the cultural life in the Islamic world and strengthen cultural cooperation among member states.
He expressed hope that the meeting would succeed in strengthening the foundations of joint cultural work, especially given the rich civilizational and cultural heritage of the Islamic world. He noted that the aspirations of Islamic societies for progress and advancement require addressing current challenges in a rapidly changing world, and the only way is to develop cultural systems to keep pace with these transformations, with the belief that cooperation is the best way to achieve success and ensure an effective and sustainable role for culture in societies, enabling it to positively impact human civilization.
He added that Qatar was accustomed to dialogue and the exchange of ideas and proposals as an integral part of its journey to support joint cultural work, stating that the more space for dialogue expands, the stronger cultural ties become, and the closer peoples come together.
He affirmed his belief that this meeting would be fruitful and constructive in deepening cooperation for the benefit of culture in Islamic societies.
The conference's first session discussed the "Impact of Culture on Socio-Economic Development" and included executive reports such as the report of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) on its achievements in the cultural field, the report of the Islamic World Heritage Committee, and the report of the 19th meeting of the Advisory Council for Cultural Development.
The 2nd session addressed guiding documents, including ICESCO's Initiative on Cultural Rights and the Right to Culture in Islamic World Countries, an analytical document on the list of World Heritage sites at risk in the Islamic world, and documents presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including a document on the digitization of bilingual dictionaries in Islamic countries, the historical pictorial dictionary of Arabic calligraphy, and a document on enhancing the recovery of cultural properties in the Islamic world
