Arab News, Paris

• Saudi Arabia was elected to the executive board of UNESCO for 2019-2023
• Kingdom supports UNESCO’s efforts to establish peace through international cooperation in education, science and culture

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday was elected to the executive board of UNESCO for 2019-2023.

Minister of Culture and Chairman of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al-Saud said: “The election of Saudi Arabia to the UNESCO executive puts our country in its natural place. We look forward to working together with our partners to promote peace through education, science, culture and the arts.”

“This confirms the Kingdom’s international status and its role in building peace and contributing effectively to the establishment of the principles of culture and science.”

Prince Badr said that the Kingdom supports UNESCO’s efforts to establish peace through international cooperation in education, science and culture. He said that the Kingdom was a founding member of UNESCO and it will continue to contribute to efforts to promote dialogue and peace, build bridges between cultures and peoples, preserve human heritage, both tangible and intangible, and support innovation and creativity, science, culture and the arts.

He said that the Kingdom’s role on the executive council will emphasize the promotion of messages of peace among peoples, achieve the goals and strategies of the UN prepared through UNESCO, and cooperation with all members. In addition, the Kingdom will strive to achieve the three main objectives of “maintaining our culture and our common heritage, support innovation and technology for sustainable social development, and promote a tolerant global community.”

Prince Badr said that the Kingdom will focus on culture, arts, technology, education and youth empowerment, based on its history of supporting and contributing to UNESCO since 1946, and as the only Arab country in the Group of 20.

“All these factors, in addition to the convergence of the principles of UNESCO and the goals of the sustainable development of the UN with the vision of the Kingdom of 2030, will contribute to the achievement of our common humanitarian goals with the world,” he said.