Damascus-SANA
65 cultural heritage experts from 15 Arab and foreign countries and representatives of international organizations have called for the restoration and rehabilitation of world heritage sites in Syria with its monuments, museums, historical urban areas and archaeological excavations.
This call came during an international forum for Syrian archaeological sites included in the lists of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization “UNESCO” under the title “Restoring Syrian Heritage and Reviving Local Communities,” at the invitation of the Syrian Trust for Development in the Syrian pavilion, which was participating in the “Expo 2020 Dubai” exhibition. .
The Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums stated in a press release published today, “While loyal Syrians work with a small group of international institutions and organizations to protect Syrian heritage, we believe that the time has come for international NGOs to work towards the restoration of Syrian heritage sites and the recovery of local communities, especially Restrictions no longer limit international activities in Syria, especially projects related to cultural heritage.”
The statement, which was published today and was adopted at the forum, stressed the "importance of developing a national heritage recovery plan and a strategy for financing specific projects, in addition to expanding the level of international cooperation in combating trafficking in cultural objects and the return of foreign archaeological missions to Syria."
The statement called on international organizations to enhance their activities in Syria and for UNESCO to resume its mission of preserving heritage sites, noting that “tangible and intangible heritage suffered severe damage during the ten years of war in Syria, as the lives of communities living around heritage sites were disrupted.”
The statement stressed that it is imperative for the concerned authorities in Syria, with the help of international organizations, to develop a comprehensive heritage recovery plan that identifies needs, implements assessments, and defines priorities and stages of intervention, in order to direct national and international cooperation, taking into account short-term directed interventions as a temporary interim strategy.
Based on the heritage recovery plan, the statement pointed out that it is imperative for those concerned to develop a communication strategy to raise awareness of the public and institutions at the national and international levels, and encourage technical and financial institutions to contribute to its implementation, while providing the necessary funding for major restoration and reconstruction projects, long-term funding for heritage preservation activities, and supporting local communities with support. from national and international institutions.
The statement stressed the importance of expanding capacity-building and training projects and focusing on developing the skills needed for these activities in the fields of archeology, museums, preservation and management of heritage sites, and promoting entrepreneurship in reviving these sites.
He pointed to the importance of enhancing the use of advanced technologies for documenting heritage sites, preparing information materials, providing information to visitors through online exhibitions, and strengthening international cooperation to combat the illicit trade in cultural objects of Syrian origin under the umbrella of UNESCO conventions by enhancing information exchange, monitoring sites and borders, and training work crews.
On the role of the communities surrounding these sites as they are a lifeline for them, the statement stressed the need to involve these communities and raise their awareness of the consequences of the illegal trade in archaeological areas, while creating job opportunities for the population, where cultural tourism and innovative industries can contribute to creating economic opportunities and achieving sustainable local development.
It is noteworthy that the forum “Restoring Syrian Heritage and Reviving Local Communities” brought together a group of prominent experts in cultural heritage from UNESCO and international organizations from France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Australia, Spain, Lebanon, Japan, Poland, Russia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Algeria and Oman, in addition to Syria, as well as representatives from regional heritage organizations. International and Arabic.
Rasha Mahfoud
