Morocco’s Minister of Youth and Culture Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid praised the country’s commitment to youth development under the leadership of King Mohammed VI during his address at the 3rd edition of the UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris.
The event, held on Tuesday alongside the United Nations General Assembly, was an opportunity for Bensaid to showcase Morocco’s initiatives for its youth.
He outlined Morocco’s key programs to support young people, as well as advocated for the establishment of a Small and Medium Enterprises Support Fund at UNESCO.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Culture, the minister emphasized King Mohammed VI’s dedication to preserving both tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
In 2022, the Moroccan monarch announced the creation of a National Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In addition, Bensaid underlined Morocco’s commitment to protecting African cultural heritage, highlighting a partnership agreement Morocco signed with UNESCO to share with sub-Saharan African countries the country’s expertise in the area of heritage protection.
He urged UNESCO to place more attention on Africa’s intangible cultural heritage and advocated for a fair representation of African cultural assets in UNESCO’s World Intangible Heritage rankings.
On the sidelines of the forum, Bensaid held discussions with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay to explore avenues for enhancing cooperation between Morocco and the international organization.
In addition, he met with the Ethiopian Minister of Women and Social Affairs Ergogie Tesfaye to discuss bilateral cooperation and exchange experiences in youth-focused programs and public policies.
Source: Moroccoworldnews
