JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, May 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, concluded its sessions on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Jeddah.
Hosted by the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, the Council decided to include a permanent agenda item on the educational, cultural, and scientific conditions in countries affected by conflicts, crises, disasters, and emergencies for its upcoming meetings. It called on the general administration of the organization to communicate and coordinate with countries experiencing educational, cultural, and scientific crises due to conflicts, disasters, and emergencies.
In its meeting, chaired by Saudi Arabia’s representative, Mr. Hani bin Muqbil Al-Muqbil, with the participation of representatives from Arab member states of ALECSO’s council, the Executive Council urged the organization’s general administration and member states to adopt the issuance of unified periodic Arab reports on Israeli violations in the fields of education, culture, and science in Jerusalem. It also highlighted systematic practices against Islamic and Christian religious and historical heritage sites in the city.
While reaffirming its rejection of all attempts at forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, the council called on international, legal, and specialized organizations and institutions to take necessary actions to stop Israeli aggression. The council also urged the general administration of the organization to continue adjusting programs and projects provided to Palestine to align with the urgent needs and national priorities of Palestinian educational, cultural, and scientific sectors in light of the current situation, and to provide emergency support programs for Palestinian students.
Based on a proposal from Libya, the Executive Council called for developing a response plan for the educational, cultural, and scientific conditions of affected member states during conflicts, crises, disasters, and emergencies to identify their needs and damages. Additionally, it proposed allocating a budget item for conflicts, crises, disasters, and emergencies, and mobilizing resources with partners and donors to implement activities and programs in the affected countries to meet their urgent needs.
The Executive Council praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s initiative to launch the ALECSO Business and Partnerships Forum, which was held in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, in January 2024. The council thanked the high committee chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with membership from nine countries: (The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Republic of Tunisia, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Palestine, the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Kingdom of Morocco). The council also commended the role of the general administration in preparing for the forum, expressing gratitude to the institutions that signed partnership agreements at the forum.
During the meeting, Arab member states in ALECSO’s Executive Council commended the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science’s initiative for the Arab Week event at UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). They thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for proposing the initiative and called on the Executive Council, Arab states, and ALECSO to support the initiative and participate in the Arab Week event at UNESCO. The initiative aims to celebrate and highlight the cultural and civilizational richness and diversity of the Arab world, enhance intercultural dialogue, and contribute to achieving sustainable development goals in Arab countries. The draft resolution included a proposal to include the initiative on the agenda of ALECSO’s General Conference.
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