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Dr. Faiza Abdul Raqeeb Salam, Deputy Minister of Culture, represented His Excellency the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, and headed by our delegation, including the Director of Music Rafiq Saad Al Akuri Brothers Heritage Center, participated in the International Conference of the Asian Alliance for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from April 24 to 25, 2023. Our country is the representative of one of the ten founding countries of the Alliance, which are: China, Cambodia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Uzbekistan and Vietnam were approved to join as observers.
The meeting also agreed on the goals of the alliance, which include cooperation in protecting archaeological cultural heritage, supporting the recovery of cultural objects and combating smuggling, strengthening research exchanges and scientific expertise in the field of excavation and restoration, and establishing a joint platform for mutual understanding and exchange of interests in protecting the tangible cultural heritage of member states and working together to transform it into an economic booster and one of the pillars of sustainable development.
Dr. Faiza Abdul Raghib Salam addressed our country at this conference, stressing that cultural heritage embodies the identity of peoples and expresses their authenticity, noting that we Yemenis are proud of the cultural heritage that our ancestors left us, which is part of our ancient civilization. The history of civilization dates back to the second millennium BC, and our country is rich in various tangible and intangible cultural heritage, which is an integral part of the unique architecture and historical monuments of Yemen. To this day, sculptures, inscriptions, manuscripts, historical cities, palaces, fortresses and human art remain as witnesses of it, ethnic coexistence and religious tolerance, but in recent decades, cultural issues have become the most important issue. This is the result of the coup d’état by the Houthi militias, which are supported by Iran and oppose the legitimacy of the constitution – this is a religious and ideological faction – because antiquities have been bombed and destroyed by them, museums and manuscripts have also been stolen, smuggled and illegally trafficked, archaeological sites and art have been tampered with, artists have been kidnapped, arrested and imprisoned, and the wheel of culture and normal life in general has stopped.
She also stressed that this meeting is the actual beginning of the alliance and the launch of the implementation of China’s cultural heritage protection initiative. She called on the alliance to play an important role in strengthening the process of cultural interaction and deepening the exchange of civilizations. She praised China for its important role in the establishment of the alliance and the success of the meeting.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a letter to the Asian Cultural Heritage Alliance to congratulate the work of the conference. He said: Asia is an important cradle of human civilization, an incubator and birthplace of infinite wealth. The establishment of the Asian Cultural Heritage Alliance is conducive to protecting Asian cultural heritage and deepening the exchange of Asian civilizations.
He expressed that China is willing to strengthen experience exchange with Asian countries within the framework of the alliance, enhance international cooperation in the field of cultural heritage and its protection, build a network of dialogue and cooperation among different civilizations, and establish closer ties between peoples of different countries.
Xie Ping, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China, said that the alliance, which has been joined by many Asian countries, is conducive to building consensus on cultural relics protection and building a cooperation mechanism and exchange platform among Asian countries. All countries will jointly strengthen the protection of important historical sites, crack down on the illegal transfer of cultural relics, and facilitate the return of looted cultural relics.
Li Chun, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, also stated that China will support the sustainable development of the alliance on the basis of the Asian Cultural Heritage Protection Fund, which has so far raised approximately US$12.71 million to support cultural heritage protection projects.
It is worth mentioning that during the meeting, the Charter of the Asian Cultural Heritage Protection Alliance was adopted, the Charter was approved, the Action Plan for 2023/2024 was approved, and the establishment of the Asian Cultural Heritage Protection Alliance was announced. The Asian Heritage Protection Fund will finance the work and projects of member countries to protect the tangible cultural heritage.
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