The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the UAE National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and the representatives of 21 African Member States held a meeting to discuss the preparation of the inscription file of African traditional games on the list of intangible cultural heritage of ICESCO and the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Culture and Communication Sector represented ICESCO in this virtual meeting, held on Tuesday (January 17, 2023), during which Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Sector, thanked the UAE National Commission for its support and the representatives of African countries for their commitment to promote the intangible cultural heritage and strengthen the cultural bonds of the African continent.

The representatives of the African countries stressed the importance of this file, which will contribute to highlighting the common cultural aspects of African countries and ensuring the preservation and promotion of their intangible heritage.
At the close of the meeting, the parties agreed to hold other expert meetings to complete the preparation of the inscription file of African traditional games on ICESCO’s intangible cultural heritage lists.

The meeting comes within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed by ICESCO and the UAE National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, in November 2022, under which the UAE will provide support for the Organization’s programs to promote the heritage of ICESCO’s African Member States.