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 enhancing its presence at international forums concerned with heritage, thereby contributing to strengthening cultural cooperation and exchanging expertise with member states and relevant international organizations.

This statement was 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. This involves reviewing nomination dossiers for new sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage List, assessing the state of conservation of listed sites, and making decisions regarding their protection and preservation of their outstanding universal value. The Committee also discusses policies and programs aimed at enhancing 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 dossiers 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, strengthen capacity-building, and facilitate the exchange of technical expertise in the management and conservation of heritage sites.

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