The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has achieved a deserved victory in the membership of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The announcement came after the results of the vote, which took place at the 40th General Conference of UNESCO in Paris, became the fourth time the UAE has won membership in one of the three principal organs of UNESCO.
During the conference, the UAE delegation was headed by Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, who met with a number of senior officials, including the head of the organization Audrey Azoulay, and a number of heads of delegations of member states.
Al Kaabi thanked the Member States at UNESCO's General Conference for voting in favor of the UAE to become a member of the UNESCO Executive Council, reflecting the confidence of the international community in the UAE-led efforts in the cultural, educational and scientific fields. Communicate with Member States of the UNESCO Executive Board.
“Even before we joined UNESCO in the early 1970s, the UAE has always believed that education, culture and science can create new opportunities for future generations. His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who has always emphasized the need for our world to cooperate more broadly as we exchange ideas with our partners, to achieve new initiatives with high goals.
Al Kaabi added: “We will work to expand the horizons of international cooperation, activate the global dialogue with our partners and transform ideas into new initiatives that serve the creative and cultural community in all countries of the world. Our victory in the UNESCO Executive Board reflected the reputation of the UAE among the international community. Today, it has been crowned with a place worthy of its efforts and appreciation and respect on the world cultural scene. "
Al-Kaabi pointed out that the UAE believes in the values of UNESCO, where our ambitions are closely aligned with the basic principles of UNESCO, which affirms that peace can be achieved through culture while building a society of thought and ethics. .
The UAE has a long history of close cooperation with UNESCO through state-sponsored initiatives and programs under the auspices of the Organization.The UAE has been ranked sixth on the list of UNESCO's largest donor countries in addition to its initiatives in the field of education, culture and science.
One of its most prominent projects in the field of education was the establishment of the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fund for UNESCO in 2013 to support educational initiatives and projects, valued at approximately US $ 2.2 million and has benefited more than 70 countries to date.
In the cultural field, the UAE has supported UNESCO's project “Reviving the Soul of Mosul” with a contribution of US $ 50.4 million over five years.This project is currently one of the largest projects to restore the human heritage in the region. A pure church, a museum with educational and community spaces.
In the field of education, the UAE provides support and funding to 120 UNESCO schools, among other local, regional and global projects led by the UAE under the umbrella of UNESCO to build bridges of communication with civilizations and cultures, preserve and preserve the world's human heritage, and meet many humanitarian needs. In the field of science, culture and education, which can not be mentioned all.
The UAE was nominated to UNESCO on April 20, 1972, one year after the founding of the UAE federation in 1971.
Over the past years, the State has taken an active part in the organization's programs, providing support and funding for many of its activities, as well as launching the organization's programs on the territory of the State for the benefit of all peoples of the world.
In 2018, the UAE was ranked eighth on the list of UNESCO's major donors and is currently a member of six UNESCO Committees.It has UNESCO World Heritage sites and has contributed to the creation of more than 120 UNESCO schools around the world. It also hosts a number of WHO centers within the country, among many other initiatives.
The UNESCO Executive Council is made up of 58 countries, selected in elections held during the General Conference, which is held twice a year to discuss the objectives of the organization, and to develop guidelines for its policies and strategy.
The Council prepares the agenda of the Organization for discussion during the sessions of the General Conference and dialogue on its programs and budget estimation, which is submitted by the President of UNESCO to the General Conference with recommendations. The Executive Board also elects the President of UNESCO.