Sharjah24 - WAM: The UAE has won a seat on the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (ICPPDCE) for the period 2021 to 2025.

The winners were announced during the 8th session of the Conference of Parties to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, held virtually from 1st to 4th June.

Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, and Chairperson of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, said, "The UAE's nomination to the Intergovernmental Committee is a recognition of the important role it plays in protecting and promoting cultural diversity, which is a fundamental pillar of the UAE’s vision for economic growth and sustainable development. Since its establishment, the UAE has put in place legal frameworks that enable all to live and thrive in an environment that fosters diversity and has taken steps to instil these values in the fabric of society."

She added, "There is no doubt that the membership on the Intergovernmental Committee will bolster its efforts to develop clear mechanisms and strategies that enhance cultural diversity in all its forms."

Al Kaabi was appreciative of the confidence shown by the international community towards the efforts of the UAE to promote cultural diversity, and stressed that the UAE will work alongside States Parties to the convention who are members of the committee to promote and implement the objectives of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which the UAE has worked to implement since 2010.

In this respect, she also added that the UAE proposes six areas of action that warrant the attention of Member States.

They include, increased dialogue and exchange about policies, best practices, and measures to strengthen our creative economies, identify the required cultural data and indicators to support evidence-based cultural policy, enhance synergies between Culture and Education to ensure sustainable cultural career paths, develop talent support policies and best practices, harness and encourage technological advancements in support of cultural economies, and enhance intellectual property protections and provide the required frameworks to support increased cultural activities in digital platforms.

The Intergovernmental Committee consists of representatives of 24 countries that are parties to the Convention. Its members are elected by the Conference of the Parties for a four-year term and meet every year.