National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters: We support UNESCO's efforts to protect 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 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 Busan, South 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 committees, tasked with implementing the 1972 Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. This involves reviewing nomination files 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 strengthening international cooperation in heritage conservation.
It pointed out 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 statement added that the current session will see the discussion of several heritage files submitted by various countries around the world, as well as the review of conservation reports for previously inscribed sites and the examination of mechanisms to support State Parties in fulfilling their obligations under the Convention, enhancing capacity-building, and exchanging technical expertise in the management and conservation of heritage sites.
The Council clarified 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 managing cultural and natural heritage sites, thereby supporting national efforts to protect cultural heritage and enhance its sustainability.
The 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee kicked off on the 19th at the BEXCO Convention and Exhibition Center in Busan and will continue until the 29th, with the aim of protecting world heritage and promoting international cooperation.
