The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), proclaimed 2019 year of heritage in the Islamic world in application of the resolution of the Tenth Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers. In a statement released on the occasion, ISESCO invited Member States to take the necessary measures to celebrate this great event and underscored the importance of the civilizational and cultural heritage, in all its tangible and intangible manifestations in preserving the collective memory and safeguarding the identity of peoples and nations. It also highlighted the urgent need for the protection, preservation and ensuring the sustainability of the heritage within a comprehensive and integrated vision and on the basis of a participatory and collective will. ISESCO also urged Muslim countries to provide more training to professionals working in the fields of tangible and intangible cultural heritage; and hone their professional, technical and scientific skills, based on ICT and mechanisms of collective and participatory management. In addition, ISESCO called upon Member States to organize cultural weeks on the cultural heritage of Al-Quds on the occasion of celebrating Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the 2019 Capital of Islamic Culture for the Arab region and the permanent capital of Islamic culture; and activate the twinning of the 2019 capitals of Islamic culture with Al-Quds Al-Sharif. Furthermore, the Organization denounced the vandalism and destruction of many historical buildings and landmarks in a number of Member States, as a result of conflicts and wars fueled by extremist thought, sectarianism and terrorism; and the looting, smuggling, illicit trafficking of artifacts and heritage landmarks.
