A+ A-

UNESCO chief stresses cultural, human protection as inseparable

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova
ABU DHABI, Dec 2 (KUNA) -- UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said Friday the protection of heritage cannot be separated from that of human life, underlining a global trend to protect international culture, peace and security.
Speaking at the international conference of the Safeguarding of Endangered Cultural Heritage held in Abu Dhabi today, Bokova sounded the alarm about the reflections of the current destruction of cultural heritage in Middle East.
She reiterated support to ongoing efforts to safeguard heritage from deliberate crimes, war crimes, in conflict zones where great and rare items are being destroyed.
She underscored the significance of safeguarding cultural sites in places like Mali, Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On his part, President of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris Jack Lang highly appreciated the great efforts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to protect and safeguard world cultural heritage.
He lauded the UAE as being a role model for the rest of the world in the quest to protect cultural heritage.
Hailing the conference, Lang added: "This is a historical event - the fruit of the friendship that links our two countries - but we are short of time - the problem is getting worse and it is becoming harder to protect this heritage in times of war and terrorism." He added that his agency is working hand in hand with UNESCO to protect heritage, and is sharing responsibility with the UAE in this fight.
The International Conference of the Safeguarding of Endangered Cultural Heritage kicked off in Abu Dhabi earlier today, attracting representatives from over 40 countries. It mainly aims to support the efforts of the UNESCO to safeguard cultural heritage in the zones of armed conflicts. (Pick up previous) bs.mt