Celebrating 10 years of inscription on the List of Intangible Heritage of Humanity
"Abu Dhabi Hunting" hosts a scientific conference on the future of "falconry"
Falconry received the most important international recognition for its legitimacy and cultural richness in November 2010. From the source
Majed Al-Mansoori: "The common cultural heritage enhances understanding and peace among peoples, and helps them achieve sustainable development."
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The themes of the scientific conference, which will be hosted by the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition in its next session, focus on “The Future of Falconry Sports”, through a series of specialized workshops, and celebrates the passage of more than 10 years since falconry received the most important global recognition of its legitimacy and cultural richness, Thanks to its inscription in November 2010 in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The conference, which is held in cooperation with UNESCO, is organized by the Emirates Falconers Club, the International Federation of Falconry and the Conservation of Birds of Prey.
(IAF), which includes in its membership 110 clubs and institutions concerned with falconry representing 90 countries, including in total more than 75,000 falconers around the world.
The 18th edition of the exhibition will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, representative of the ruler in the Al Dhafra region and president of the Emirates Falconers Club, during the period from September 27 to October 3, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, organized by the Emirates Falconers Club, under the slogan "Sustainability and heritage... in a renewed spirit".
The Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee of the exhibition, Secretary-General of the Emirates Falconers Club and President of the International Federation of Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey, Majid Ali Al-Mansoori, stressed that the rich workshops that make up the conference accompanying the exhibition represent an important step to enhance the capabilities of the countries participating in the file of falconry registration at UNESCO. And for all falconry communities around the world alike, pointing out that the common cultural heritage enhances understanding and peace among peoples, and helps them achieve sustainable development, while at the same time ensuring the transfer of knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another, in line with the active UAE policy in Spreading the culture of love, tolerance and the values of coexistence.
The UAE is one of the first members of the World Falconry Federation, through the membership of the Emirates Falconers Club.
In appreciation of its important and effective role in preserving human heritage and sustainable hunting, which led the most important achievements in the history of falconry by registering it in UNESCO and granting it the legality of practice. The founder of the Emirates Falconers Club, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, as Honorary President of the International Federation of Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF) in 2017.
For his part, IAF Executive Director, Gary Timberl, explained that the Federation has been attending the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition since 2004, which had been launched a year before, and witnessed remarkable development and wide growth over the past years.
He pointed out that concurrently, and during the same period, the International Federation of Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey also grew and developed, with 90 member states in its membership in 2021, compared to 35 countries in 2004. Timberle attributed this success mainly to the federation's keenness to Permanent presence in the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition encouraged by the Emirates Falconers Club.
He said, "On many occasions during the past sessions, the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition has been a center for the annual meetings of the International Federation of Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey, as is the case in the next session (Abu Dhabi 2021).
Over the years, the exhibition has hosted many successful conferences on falconry and ways to preserve it, which directly helped us to contribute to strengthening the UAE’s pioneering initiatives, foremost of which is the registration of falconry in (UNESCO) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.”
On the details of this year's conference, Timberle revealed that officials and volunteers from the International Federation of Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey from 20 countries, who will supervise the dialogue platforms and run the specialized workshops, including: "Women in Falconry", "How to take advantage of social media." To promote efforts to protect the sport of falconry, “Protecting Falconry in the Maghreb” and “Protecting Falconry in the Levant.”
At the conclusion of the conference, the results of all these workshops will be linked in a final symposium entitled “The Future of Falconry”, through which everyone who wishes to participate in the exhibition will be encouraged to participate in an important and effective role in this regard.
• The International Falconry Federation includes 110 clubs and institutions representing 90 countries, and includes more than 75,000 falconers around the world.
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