Holding conference on safeguarding cultural

Plans by the United Arab Emirates, UAE, and France to hold a conference on safeguarding endangered cultural heritage in December in Abu Dhabi reflect existing unique ties and co-operation between the two countries, the Secretary-General of the conference Hugues Moret said on Thursday.

"Paris and Abu Dhabi are determined to have bold and significant outcome from the conference, especially because 40 countries and inter-government organisations will participate in the event," he said.

The conference is an initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Francois Hollande, President of France.

To be held on 2nd and 3rd December 2016 at the Emirates Palace under the patronage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, the Safeguarding Endangered Cultural Heritage conference will be attended by a number of leaders, international experts and representatives of International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and other organisations. It will be co-chaired by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, and Jack Lang, President of the Paris-based Arab World Institute.

Participants will discuss an international action plan to address the impact of terrorism, conflicts and illicit trade on culture, Moret, a French diplomat, said during a meeting with representatives of Arab media.

The conference, he said, will focus on forming an international alliance to protect world cultural heritage and creating a Geneva-based fund, with initial commitments of US$100 million, to support protection of cultural heritage in war zones.

France will donate $30 million to the new fund, Moret revealed.

The alliance will study emergency situations and could consider conducting emergency military intervention in involved countries as an option to save endangered archaeological assets, Moret noted.