UAE elected vice-chair of UNESCO's intangible heritage assembly

Paris - July 4, 2010 (WAM)- The UAE was elected vice-chair of UNESCO's General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at a recent meeting in Paris. Arab states unanimously voted the UAE for the position at its third session which was held between June 22nd and 24th, 2010 at UNESCO Headquarters.
Voting the UAE as vice-chair of the UNESCO's body is a testament by Arab states to its excellence and experience in safeguarding its own intangible heritage as well as its role in supporting Arab joint action in the sphere of heritage, culture and arts, according to Director General of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) Mohammed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei.
Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova and Al-Mazrouei signed an agreement on supporting efforts to safeguard the world's intangible heritage Bokova hailed the UAE's strong support for strengthening capacity-building activities all over the world as well as ADACH's contribution to UNESCO's efforts. She noted that Abu Dhabi hosted the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Intangible Heritage of the UNESCO in September last year.
ADACH's efforts to protect intangible heritage is closely linked to UNESCO's and involves researching, cataloguing and archiving of the oral history, local traditions and values of Abu Dhabi. At its recent session, the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage also adopted amendments and new chapters to the Operational Directives.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), seated in Paris, was established in 1946 with the aim to strengthen intergovernmental cooperation in education, science and culture. – Emirates News Agency, WAM