The OIC Hosts a Joint Colloquium with France on the Preservation and Protection of Cultural Heritage in OIC Member States

11/05/2017- The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will host a joint OIC-France colloquium in Jeddah on 14-15 May 2017 on the theme “The preservation and protection of cultural heritage in OIC member states”.

The colloquium comes in light of the ongoing conflicts and wars in some areas of the Islamic world, which adversely affect the Islamic cultural heritage and cause the destruction of many archaeological and historical areas. This endeavor is motivated by the fact that the preservation of cultural heritage contributes to the preservation of cultural diversity and wealth.

The conference is a step towards promoting the OIC’s cultural activities and a contribution to the preparations for the international event which will be held in November 2017 in cooperation between the Islamic Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA). The objective of the conference is to draw attention to the need to protect cultural heritage from neglect, looting and erosion, and to consider ways to raise the awareness of communities, particularly the youth, to preserve the memory of the Muslim Ummah.

The colloquium will include a review the respective experiences of ISESCO, IRCICA, COMIAC and UNESCO, as well as those of invited experts in the area of protection of cultural heritage in the Islamic world, and the sharing of best practices in this regard, while focusing on Al-Quds and on some countries with expertise in this domain.

The colloquium will also include a round-table discussion with the participation of experts from France, UNESCO, IRCICA, ISESCO and COMIAC, as well as representatives of member states, who will examine the experiences and proposals of member states on the protection of cultural heritage. It will also consider the experiences of the OIC and the UNESCO, the role of civil society and the private sector, and the use of technology for the protection of the endangered cultural heritage.

The colloquium will also feature a session for the review of the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in protecting heritage, with the participation of experts from the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. It will also review the engagement of the Saudi society in preserving heritage.

Source: http://www.oic-oci.org/topic/?t_id=13542&t_ref=5902&lan=en