Qatar has been elected as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of Unesco. A total of 98 countries participated in the vote, where 59 countries voted for Qatar to be along with 11 other members of the new four-year session.
Half of the 24 members of the government committee were elected.
Hamad Mohamed Al Zakiba, Director of the Culture and Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture and Sports and head of the Qatari delegation, stressed that the ministry will continue to support projects that promote the principles and objectives of this important agreement and its commitment to shared cultural values, particularly through the preparation and organisation of the World Cup.
Ali Zainal, Qatar’s Permanent Representative to Unesco, said the importance of this election confirms the confidence of the international community in Qatar to promote cultural diversity, both in the country and outside, noting that this confidence affirmed the faith of the Qatar in the content of the Convention signed in 2005 to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions in a special framework for the formulation of policies and the identification of measures to promote the emergence of dynamic and creative cultural industries and markets throughout the world.
He added that the paper presented by the Qatari delegation highlighted the cultural institutions’ activities in the international implementation of the Convention and the initiatives undertaken by Qatar in this regard, the most important of which is the ‘Cultural Years’ initiative which started since 2012 with Japan. 2019 is Qatar-India Cultural Year. The project has received great appreciation from various participating nations.
On the impact of this election and its implications for Qatar, ambassador Ali Zainal said, “It will increase the activities of Qatar through this membership. Through its cultural institutions, especially the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Qatar will implement programmes and events that will enhance the implementation the agreement, at the national level, such as increasing the hosting of the activities of the communities residing in Qatar, as well as through the activities carried out by cultural institutions outside the country to promote the implementation of the convention.”
In its working paper, the ministry emphasised the importance of cultural diversity and its support for intercultural dialogue as an important factor for sustainable development, as well as the promotion of human rights and belonging to national identity in exchange for full respect for other cultural identities coexisting in one society.
It also reviewed the efforts of Qatar in supporting cultural events that highlight cultural diversity and enhance it among the expatriate communities in Qatar, as well as its support for regional and international cooperation and communication that reflects the civilized image of the country.