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The Tracker Culture & Public Policy | Special Issue n°3 : Regional Perspectives | Arab States

Cultural heritage is a key focus of cultural policies in the Arab States and the MONDIACULT 2022 Regional Consultation highlighted the growing importance of heritage for social inclusion, peace and cultural diplomacy. The countries of the region share the Arabic language and it was remarked that this is a powerful tool for fostering cooperation on cultural policies, particularly as regards documentary and museum heritage. The safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage has already proven to be successful in terms of fostering cooperation between Arab States, as attested by a notable increase in the number of multinational nominations to the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Participants noted that the rehabilitation of heritage was a key economic driver, particularly through tourism, but that there was a need to ensure qualified professionals to not only develop strong training curricula but also to attract young people to this field by including cultural heritage preservation. However, as the region remains touched by military and social crises, strengthening the legal framework as regards the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage and the illicit trafficking of cultural property is a key priority going forwards, as is the restitution of cultural property. As such, the continued ratification by Member States of UNESCO Culture Conventions is vital.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REGIONAL CONSULTATION
"ALECSO calls for thinking about developing the functions of culture including in peacekeeping operations. We believe that the UN-led international peacekeeping operations that the United Nations have become a part of the daily reality of societies, especially in some Arab countries and African countries and that culture can play a key role in peace. Currently, peacekeeping operations, mainly focus on security issues only, but they need a cultural factor that takes into account the diversity and specificies of the societies involved, one that respects their cultural values and thus enables the protection of the social and cultural fabric in the face of armed conflicts”