Yesterday, July 12th, Minister of Culture Nevine Al Kilany attended a meeting with the OIC of the UNESCO Office in Cairo Nuria Sanz, and its culture team to talk over means to strengthen cooperation on the culture front nationally and regionally too.
The fruitful discussions tackled ways of synthesizing efforts for the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage this year.
And in light of the leadership of the Egyptian authorities for the global efforts in safeguarding living heritage, the meeting further discussed the program for the 20th anniversary this year to celebrate Egypt’s rich and diverse intangible treasures, recognize knowledge holders and practitioners, and reflect on future directions.
After that, both sides agreed to continue with the special Programme on traditional food systems in Egypt through a series of scientific and professional workshops to underline the significance of Egypt’s traditional foodways, including recipes, cooking methods, and mealtime rituals, that are passed down through generations and represent the Egyptian community’s unique cultural identity and heritage.
Also, regional cultural initiatives were discussed, prioritizing Culture for Africa and promoting intercultural global dialogue through international exhibitions, fairs, and cultural activities.
The main objective is to merge the main programs and individual research undertaken in Egypt and abroad for decades to set up a potential list of manifestations and practices that could become candidates for the UNESCO 2003 Convention.
It is worth mentioning that Egypt has a rich and diverse living heritage. The state ratified the ICH Convention in 2005, and 7 elements (national and multi-national) are inscribed on the Lists.
