UAE participates in UNESCO's first international meeting on 'Revive the Spirit of Mosul' initiative

PARIS, 12th September, 2018 (WAM) -- The United Arab Emirates has participated in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO,'s first international meeting on the "Revive the Spirit of Mosul" initiative, at the Organisation's headquarters in Paris. The Conference for the Recovery and Rehabilitation of the City of Mosul is aimed at reviewing the current situation in Mosul, mobilising the international community for the reconstruction and recovery of Mosul, and presenting major projects that will contribute to the restoration of Mosul’s heritage sites, reviving its cultural life and its educational institutions. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, highlighted the importance of focussing the efforts of strategic partners on humanitarian aspects in the recovery and rehabilitation of the City of Mosul to ensure cultural and educational sustainable development within the city. In her keynote speech as part of the conference, Noura Al Kaabi stressed the importance of strategic partnerships among key actors in the reconstruction of the Great Mosque of Al Nuri and Al-Hadba' Minaret. "The UAE’s support of the reconstruction and restoration of Al Nuri mosque marks a turning point in the lives of the people of Iraq in general, and the people of Al Mosul in particular, due to its social value and global cultural importance," Al Kaabi added. "This project does not only aim to protect the heritage, but also means to stand against terrorism, support the economy of Iraq, provide employment opportunities, support sustainable development, and nurture values of tolerance, peace, and hope for the region," she noted. The Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development confirmed that the first meeting of Al Nuri Mosque Steering Committee meeting will take place on 13th September in Abu Dhabi and will discuss a number of proposals that are appropriate for the project and the Al Mosul community. The project will provide new economic opportunities and the development of cultural tourism in Mosul, guaranteeing a more prosperous future for the people of Iraq. She expressed her appreciation for the efforts of UNESCO in the protection of archaeology and the cultural heritage of humanity worldwide, highlighting their major role in the reconstruction project of Al Nuri Mosque. Al Kaabi further stressed the UAE’s readiness to cooperate with UNESCO in future projects. During her participation in a panel discussion titled "Why and how to partner with UNESCO", Al Kaabi highlighted that the UAE’s strategic partnership with UNESCO in this project does not only stem from their international credibility in the preservation of global cultural heritage, but from the project’s values and principles, identical to that of the UAE. This project symbolises not just the reconstruction of a destroyed mosque, but the reconstruction of the spirit, identity and heart of the people of Al Mosul.