Heritage Cities Festival: Remarkable Participation by the Moroccan Delegation

During a conference themed “Beacons of Scientific Influence and Bridges of Cultural Exchange,” Abdelfattah El Belamachi, president of the Moroccan Center for Parallel Diplomacy and Civilizational Dialogue, emphasized that effective cultural diplomacy derives its strength from the synergy of two strategies based on depth and outreach.

In this regard, he highlighted the roles academic and cultural actors can play in enhancing nations’ influence and supporting their positioning on the global stage, citing Morocco’s experience in this field.

He noted that achieving the objectives of any country’s foreign policy is no longer limited to promoting traditional international relations and concluding bilateral and multilateral treaties. Instead, it requires opening new perspectives to boost the soft power of states.

For his part, Azzedine Karra, director of the National Center for Studies and Research on Underwater Heritage, stressed the importance of valuing cultural heritage and integrating it into sustainable development, underlining the centrality of the human element in this process.

The Moroccan cultural heritage expert discussed key international conventions in this domain, reviewing UNESCO’s 1972 Convention on World Heritage Protection, the 2001 Convention on Underwater Cultural Heritage, and developments introduced by the 2003 Convention on Intangible Heritage.

This event, where Morocco was the guest of honor in its 2019 edition, is held alternately among four historic Mauritanian cities listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with the goal of promoting and showcasing their cultural legacy.