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 the State of Kuwait’s continued commitment to supporting the efforts of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in safeguarding 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 was stated in a statement issued by the Council on the sidelines of Kuwait’s 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 a number of 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. It does so by 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 was 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 is expected to discuss a number of heritage nominations submitted by various countries around the world, in addition to reviewing reports on the conservation of previously inscribed sites and examining 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 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 aimed at protecting cultural heritage and enhancing its sustainability.
The 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee kicked off on the 19th of the current month at the BEXCO Conference and Exhibition Center in Busan. The session, which runs until the 29th of the month, aims to protect world heritage and strengthen international cooperation.
