UAE citizens showing Al A’zi in a parade during the 44th National Day © Abou Dhabi Tourism and Cultural Authority (TCA), 2016

The Arab States is the third region to develop country reports on the implementation of the 2003 Convention under the reformed periodic reporting mechanism. Based on the successful implementation of the capacity building for periodic reporting in Latin America and the Caribbean (2020), and Europe (2021), UNESCO has further innovated this training course and is delivering it for the first time in a hybrid format in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (21-25 March). This was made possible thanks to the generous support provided by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage.

His Excellency, Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairperson of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, inaugurated this important gathering of focal points for periodic reporting from 18 Arab States.

The focal points will discuss the 2003 Convention’s periodic reporting mechanism, strengthen their knowledge and skills to design and implement results-based participatory reporting, and become familiar with the new online periodic reporting tool. The workshop will provide an occasion for peer learning, networking, and strategic discussions amongst participants, with the participation of the UNESCO programme specialists for Culture in the region. Thanks to the hybrid format team members of each focal point are joining online thus further enriching the discussions. The course will be led by senior members of UNESCO network of facilitators for the 2003 Convention.

After the five-day training workshop, the focal points will be accompanied by UNESCO facilitators to carry out regional exercises throughout the year to better prepare their national report.

The periodic reports of Arab countries are to be submitted by 15 December of 2022 for examination by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2023.