The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) organized a series of bilateral meetings in Paris with the Ambassadors of Azerbaijan, China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan. Meetings were also held with Mr. Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture; Mrs. Krista Pikkat, of the Culture and Emergencies Entity in UNESCO’s Culture Sector; and Mr. Lazare Eloundo, Director of the World Heritage Centre. Another key meeting took place with Mr. Chafki Abdelamir, Director General of the Arab World Institute, as well as Mrs. Nathalie Bondil, Director of the Institute’s Museum and Collections.

These meetings aimed to present ICESCO’s new vision and response to the alarming condition of World Heritage sites in its 53 Member States. In May 2024, ICESCO conducted an extensive research study on World Heritage sites included in the list of endangered sites. The findings issued an urgent call for action.

This concerning situation demands immediate international attention and targeted interventions. In response, ICESCO has taken significant steps, including supporting the process of preparing and adopting the Desired State of Conservation to remove endangered properties from the list, proposing corrective actions for cultural and natural heritage sites in Africa, enhancing collaboration to host international conferences focused on conflict and post-conflict reconstruction efforts in the Islamic world, and organizing capacity-building workshops, promoting the training of trainers, considering local contexts, and creating a pool of experts for each region.

The ICESCO delegation also participated in an information meeting regarding UNESCO’s action toward the reconstruction of Gaza.

To advance these initiatives, ICESCO is calling for the active participation of Member States and global partners. An information meeting was approved to brief both Member and non-Member States present at UNESCO on ICESCO’s priorities and actions in the field of culture and heritage. This effort seeks to strengthen the ICESCO-UNESCO partnership in the context of key upcoming events, including the 47th World Heritage Committee session and Mondiacult 2025.

The ICESCO delegation to Paris included Mr. Anar Karimov, Director of Partnerships and International Cooperation; Mr. Webber Ndoro, Director of the Islamic Heritage Centre; Mrs. Somia Djacta, Director of ICESCO Office at UNESCO; and Mr. Muhammad Aba Osman, expert at ICESCO’s Culture Sector.