Saudi Arabia Showcases Commitment At UNESCO Executive Board Meeting

Saudi Arabia recently marked its presence at the 219th session of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris. The Kingdom's delegation, led by Fahd bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to France and the Principality of Monaco and designated permanent representative to UNESCO, participated in the session that commenced on March 27. The Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, along with other relevant national bodies, were also part of this significant gathering.

During his address, Al-Ruwaili shed light on Saudi Arabia's concerted efforts with regional and global partners to address the humanitarian crisis and civilian suffering in the Gaza Strip. He emphasized the Kingdom's stance on stopping Israeli assaults and violations of international law to alleviate civilian distress. Al-Ruwaili urged UNESCO to amplify its efforts in this critical area.

Furthermore, Al-Ruwaili praised the ongoing collaboration between Saudi Arabia and UNESCO across various domains including education, science, and culture. He highlighted "The Earthen Testaments," an exhibition at UNESCO headquarters on Saudi Founding Day, showcasing Diriyah's rich heritage, particularly the Al-Turaif district—a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2010.

The ambassador also spotlighted the $10 million worth of projects launched jointly by Saudi Arabia and UNESCO under the Fund-in-Trust Agreement. These initiatives aim to foster a vibrant cultural ecosystem through synergy across UNESCO’s six Culture Conventions. Al-Ruwaili reflected on Saudi Arabia's role in integrating culture into the G20 agenda during its presidency in 2020 and appreciated subsequent G20 presidencies for continuing this historic initiative.

Al-Ruwaili shared achievements within the education sector through cooperation with UNESCO. He noted that three more Saudi cities have joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, increasing the total to five. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has taken a leading role in the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goal 4 High-Level Steering Committee and its subcommittee on data and monitoring.

In conclusion, Al-Ruwaili expressed gratitude towards the countries that supported Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh. He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to organizing an expo that promotes global cultural cooperation and partnerships.

With inputs from SPA