The UAE participates in the meeting of the Group of Cultural Group in South Africa
Johannesburg, May 23 / WAM / The UAE participated in the second meeting of the group of cultural work of the Group of Twenty held under the slogan “Solidarity, equality, and sustainability”, which was hosted by the city of Johannesburg in South Africa recently with the aim of enhancing cultural cooperation between member states, highlighting the role of culture as a strategic tool for achieving sustainable development, building bridges of civilization and promoting dialogue between peoples and establishing peace values.
The state represented at the meeting a delegation from the Ministry of Culture headed by Shatha Al -Mulla, the assistant undersecretary for the national identity and arts sector, where the meeting witnessed a series of discussion sessions that dealt with the first draft of the closing statement of the cultural work group, with the participation of high -ranking representatives of the Group of Twenty and host countries as well as international organizations such as the United Nations Education and Science and Culture (UNESCO).
The discussions between countries and international organizations focused on four main axes, namely: protecting and restoring cultural heritage as a fundamental human right, integrating cultural policies into economic and social plans, to ensure comprehensive development, and to harness digital technology to support the sustainable cultural economy, and to face climate challenges that threaten cultural and material heritage.
During the meeting, the country’s delegation affirmed the UAE’s endeavor to enhance the role of culture as a tributary for comprehensive development and a fundamental element in consolidating the national identity, and in supporting innovation and creative industries at the global level, which is evident through its constant keenness to participate in the tops of the Group of Twenty, in addition to consolidating the state’s position on the global economic scene by achieving balance in interacting with Western economies and the countries of the “Brix” group.
In the context of climatic challenges, the delegation stressed the importance of taking targeted measures to enhance the global call for climate -based climate work, noting the leading state initiatives in this regard such as “the framework of the UAE’s work for global climate flexibility” at the Conference of Parties COP28, which includes seven objective goals that highlight global priorities for adaptation, including cultural heritage, and aims to achieve the target of heritage protection Cultural as part of the “UAE -Belim” program and includes it in national adaptation plans by member states.
The delegation also touched on the group “Friends of Climate Work on Culture”, which was established by the United Arab Emirates and Brazil, with the aim of obtaining the official recognition of the pivotal role of culture in climate change policies through an integrated strategy that includes enhancing cooperation in building knowledge and increasing general participation in climate and culture issues in the Thirty Conference (COP30) and future conferences.
The Ministry of Culture is scheduled to participate in the upcoming meetings in the next July and October in Cape Town and the Kawazulu Natal Governorate, in preparation for the meeting of the Culture of the Group of Twenty to be held on October 29, to approve the closing statement of the ministers of culture before the Group of Group leaders summit on the 27th and 28th of November in the Kutting Governorate, South Africa.
It is noteworthy that the UAE participates in the work of the summit for the fourth time in a row, as it was previously invited to 2022, 2023 and 2024, in addition to its historical participation in the 2011 and 2020 versions.
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