Botswana: Botswana Ambassador to the Republic of France and Permanent Delegate of Botswana to UNESCO also 18.Com Chairperson of Committee Mushtaq Moorad expressed his delight for the opportunity that UNESCO accorded Botswana to host the 18th Session of Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
While addressing the media during a press conference on the side meetings of the ongoing Conference, he said the Conference will allow delegates to interact and witness first hand some of Botswana’s existing balance of cultural biodiversity and tourism. Ambassador Moorad optimistically highlighted that the Conference will also encourage local communities to list more elements, hence preserving their intangible cultural practices.
Meanwhile, the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, Ernesto Ottone, appreciated the presence of President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, who validated the importance of cultural preservation among communities.
The Assistant Director General said the purpose of the convention that was ratified by more than 182 countries was to showcase how communities are involved in cultural preservation, skills transfer from one generation to the other, creating an environment where safeguarding is practised and value chain creation that sustains communities livelihoods.
Ottone outlined that during this session 12 elements from Africa will be inscribed on various lists, with three new member States that will inscribe their first elements being Angola, Cameroon and Djibouti.
Ottone expressed that as UNESCO hopes with more elements being listed, it can bear testimony and serve as a point of reference for future generations on how people changed lives and solved social challenges.
Currently happening in Kasane, Botswana: the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible #CulturalHeritage! Discover more:
Moreover, they are also planning to discuss criminal attacks; one of the users said, “Out of the tens of thousands that our people suffer each year, is what gets to prompt you into seeing that criminals have put us under siege. What solution do you have in mind for the rest of us?”