(MENAFN- Gulf Times)

• Commitment to promoting education and protecting world cultural heritage

Qatar affirmed its commitment to supporting and promoting education and protecting world cultural heritage.
This came in a speech delivered by HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education and Chairperson of the Qatari National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Lolwah bint Rashid AlKhater during her participation in the 43rd session of the General Conference of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with the participation of ministers and officials from various countries around the world.
At the outset of her speech to the conference, HE AlKhater expressed Qatar's gratitude to the government of Uzbekistan for its hospitality and excellent organisation, and commended the selection of Samarkand as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2025.
She emphasised that the world faces increasing humanitarian and technological challenges that require collective action to reorder priorities and place humanity at the heart of development.
She also reiterated Qatar's unwavering support for the brotherly Palestinian people and the preservation of their cultural heritage. She emphasised the importance of Unesco redoubling its efforts to protect educational and cultural institutions in conflict-affected areas, particularly in Palestine and Sudan, where historical and educational sites are suffering widespread destruction that threatens our shared human heritage.
HE the Minister also commended the signing of the updated agreement between Qatar and Unesco concerning the Multi-Sectoral Regional Office in Doha, noting that its entry into force in February 2025 will contribute to strengthening regional co-operation in education, culture, and science.
She explained that Qatar, under the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, launched its third development strategy (2024-2030), which places education at the heart of sustainable development and the transition to a knowledge-based economy. She highlighted Qatar's achievements in this field, including hosting the 14th Conference of Arab Ministers of Education and preparing for the 5th Regional Conference on Higher Education in May 2026, as well as Doha Municipality winning the Unesco Learning Cities Award for 2024.
HE AlKhater also reviewed Qatar's global contributions to supporting education through the Education Above All Foundation, which has provided learning opportunities to more than 14.5mn children and young people in over 60 countries, in addition to the efforts of the Qatar Fund for Development and Qatar Charity in supporting education in conflict zones.
In the cultural sphere, she noted Qatar's accession to the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, the inscription of date palms and henna on Uneco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and Qatar's hosting of the Conference on Archaeology and Cultural Heritage in the Arab World in October 2025.
She affirmed Qatar's commitment to continued co-operation with member states to achieve Unesco's goals and its noble mission of building a more peaceful and humane world.
HE AlKhater also participated in a closed ministerial session entitled "Transforming Tomorrow Today: On the Skills Needed for a Sustainable Future," during which she emphasised that Qatar National Vision 2030 places human beings at the heart of sustainable development and seeks to build an educational system that strengthens national identity and embraces global engagement. She said: "Our goal is not only to prepare learners for the jobs of tomorrow, but to empower them to shape tomorrow itself, so they can be a force for good, knowledge, and development."
The conference brought together over 2,800 representatives from 190 countries, marking the first such event held outside Unesco headquarters in Paris in over forty years.
Dr Khaled El-Enany was elected as the new Director-General of Unesco, succeeding Ms Audrey Azoulay, becoming the first Arab to hold this prestigious position.
Qatar's participation in the 43rd session of the Unesco General Conference underscores its commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 4 on quality education, and aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030, which places human beings at the heart of comprehensive development General Conference HE Lolwah bint Rashid AlKhater

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