Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan voiced the Kingdom’s denouncement of the ongoing “unjustifiable” attacks on civilians in Gaza as he attended the 42nd session of UNESCO’s General Conference in Paris.
“We strongly condemn the continuous attacks on civilians and the destruction of schools, hospitals, and cultural properties in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories,” the minister said as he gave Saudi Arabia’s speech at the conference on Friday.
He described these actions as “unjustifiable violations that are contrary to international norms and laws.”
The minister said the Kingdom’s condemnation of these practices are “based on UNESCO’s founding charter, which promotes international understanding as a prerequisite for preventing the recurrence of crimes, genocides, racism, and wars.”
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia calls for intensified international efforts to protect the rights of civilians in a way that contributes to the achievement of global peace and stability," the minister said.
Prince Badr bin Abdullah, also Chairman of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, affirmed the Kingdom's pride in its achievements over the past two years in UNESCO.
Such achievements could be made thanks to the effective contribution of the organization and its member states in achieving international cooperation, the minister added.
He said that the sector of education, culture and science receives support and attention from the wise leadership as an essential component of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
This vision has backed noble international efforts to promote education, culture, and science, the minister said, adding that Saudi Arabia has utilized all its capabilities to achieve sustainable development goals.
The minister highlighted Saudi Arabia’s keenness to actively participate in the various executive councils of UNESCO’s programs.
He shed light on the fruitful partnership between Saudi Arabia and UNESCO and the launch of six pioneering projects through the Cultural Development Fund to positively impact cultural heritage around the world.
