The 12th meeting of the Islamic World Heritage Committee (IWHC), being hosted in Shusha, Republic of Azerbaijan, as part of the celebration of Shusha as Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2024, kicked off on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. The meeting will examine Member States’ nomination files of historical sites and cultural elements for inscription on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List, review the vision and activities of ICESCO’s Heritage Center, present its 2024 publications, and discuss major challenges facing the Center.

The meeting began with the address of Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), delivered on his behalf by Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture and Communication Sector, in which he reaffirmed ICESCO’s commitment to support efforts aimed at preserving the Islamic world’s heritage through a series of books published to identify endangered archaeological sites and cultural elements, and inscribe more historical sites and cultural elements on the Islamic world heritage lists, which so far include a total of 637 sites and cultural elements.

He explained that ICESCO, in cooperation with specialists and experts from various countries, is striving to achieve a qualitative leap in heritage preservation, and seeks through its action plans and its Islamic World Heritage Center to strengthen the capacities of heritage stakeholders by providing them with the necessary knowledge tools to carry out their activities in conformity with international standards.

In his address, Eng. Mohammed Al-Aidarous, Chairman of the Islamic World Heritage Committee, thanked the Republic of Azerbaijan for hosting the meeting, indicating that the meeting will discuss a number of major issues affecting the Islamic world’s heritage, which will support the restoration and preservation of heritage.

In her address, Ms. Saadet Yusifova, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, pointed out that heritage faces a number of challenges that may threaten its existence, particularly conflicts and wars, and that the preservation of this heritage is a right for future generations.

Dr. Webber Ndoro, Head of ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Center, presented the Center’s next two-year strategy, its vision and priorities, and its key programs and activities. The Center’s experts presented a number of documents and reports on the finalization of the Islamic World Heritage Portal and highlighted the Center’s partnerships, in addition to a presentation on the major publications of ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Center for 2024.