King Mohammed VI hails quality of Morocco-UNESCO partnership for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage

King Mohammed VI has hailed the quality of the partnership existing between UNESCO and Morocco, and the excellent collaboration between the UN Organization and the Kingdom for safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage and the preservation of culture and traditions that are transmitted from generation to generation.

This came as the Sovereign was greeted this Monday by UNESCO Director-General, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, on the sidelines of the inauguration of the new bus station in Rabat.

The King expressed special thanks to the Director General of UNESCO for all her efforts to safeguard and protect the cultural heritage of Nations, which is sometimes despoiled by other countries or assimilated by other cultures.

Proud of her Moroccan origins, Ms. Audrey Azoulay commended the Sovereign for his commitment to the protection and promotion of Morocco’s intangible heritage.

Recalling that Morocco had ratified all UNESCO conventions concerning Heritage, Ms. Audrey Azoulay welcomed the centrality and strategic nature of the relations between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Kingdom of Morocco.

Mrs Azoulay is visiting Rabat to take part in the 17th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In her opening remarks at the session Monday morning, Mrs. Azoulay had hailed the commitment of King Mohammed VI to the preservation of cultural heritage.

“The preservation of the liveliness of heritage owes much to the commitment of His Majesty King Mohammed VI,” said Mrs. Azoulay, who expressed her “most sincere” thanks to the Sovereign for “his commitment to culture, for the entire scope of UNESCO’s mandate, and more generally, for multilateral action in the service of peace.”

The 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO is held under the chairmanship of Morocco and is attended by government officials and representatives of civil society from 180 countries.

The meeting runs until December 3.