National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters: Committed to Supporting UNESCO's Efforts to Protect Cultural and Natural Heritage

The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters affirmed Kuwait’s continued commitment to supporting the efforts of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in protecting cultural and natural heritage, and to enhancing its presence at international forums concerned with heritage, thereby contributing to consolidating cultural cooperation and exchanging expertise with member states and relevant international organizations.

This came in a statement issued by the Council on the sidelines of Kuwait’s current participation in the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in the city of Busan, Republic of Korea. The Kuwaiti delegation is headed by its Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Ambassador Dr. Ali Al-Mutairi, and includes the Council’s Secretary-General, Dr. Mohammed Al-Jassar, along with several specialists in the fields of cultural and natural heritage.

The Council noted that the World Heritage Committee is one of UNESCO’s most prominent bodies, tasked with implementing the 1972 Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. It does so by reviewing nomination files for new sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage List, assessing the state of conservation of existing inscribed sites, and making decisions regarding their protection and preservation of their outstanding universal value. The Committee also discusses policies and programs aimed at strengthening international cooperation in heritage conservation.

It clarified that Kuwait won a seat on the Committee, becoming one of the 21 member states, representing the Arab Group, for a four-year term following elections held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris in November 2025.

The Council pointed out that the current session will see the discussion of several heritage nomination files submitted by various countries around the world, as well as the review of conservation reports for previously inscribed sites. It will also examine mechanisms to support State Parties in fulfilling their obligations under the Convention, enhance capacity-building, and exchange technical expertise in the management and conservation of heritage sites.

The Council explained that the Kuwaiti delegation will participate, on the sidelines of the session, in coordination meetings and bilateral meetings with several participating delegations and UNESCO officials to explore cooperation opportunities in heritage conservation, exchange technical expertise, and benefit from international best practices in the management of cultural and natural heritage sites. These efforts will support national initiatives aimed at protecting the civilizational heritage and enhancing its sustainability.