Madam Chairperson of the Executive Board, Mr. President of the General Conference, Madam Director-General of UNESCO, Your Excellencies, Heads of Delegations of Member States and Observers, Ladies and Gentlemen,   May the peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you. First and foremost, it is with great pleasure that I extend my greetings to all present at this opening session of the Executive Board. It is an honor to represent my country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to express our support for the statement of the Arab Group, which will subsequently be delivered by the sisterly State of Kuwait.   Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to draw attention to the accomplishments of the extended 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee. The Kingdom was honored to host this session under the auspices of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science. With the presence of colleagues from UNESCO, its representatives, member states, observers, and advisory committees, we witnessed the resumption of the committee’s in-person work for the first time in four years. During the session, the Kingdom proudly inscribed its seventh heritage site, ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid, during the committee’s proceedings on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The committee also saw the registration of endangered heritage sites, the registration of heritage sites in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, and an unprecedented number of African heritage sites being added, bringing the total number of registered African heritage sites to 100. We renew our congratulations to everyone on the success of this edition of the World Heritage Committee. We look forward to ensuring the sustainability of our countries' cultural and heritage treasures, aiming to build a future in which culture is a global public good. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks once again for the substantial support and cooperation provided by the World Heritage Committee and the General Secretariat of UNESCO. This facilitated the holding of the committee’s work in the Kingdom in the required manner and ensured the presence and participation of delegates from member states, both from Paris and from the capitals of their countries, the number of which exceeded 3,000 participants. This played a major role in the success of the Committee and the achievement of its desired goals.     Distinguished Attendees, In light of the Kingdom’s international leadership in the field of artificial intelligence, we inaugurated the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics in July 2023. This establishment will amplify the Kingdom’s regional and international role in artificial intelligence, ensuring the fortification of research efforts and achieving responsible use of artificial intelligence applications. Moreover, the Kingdom is poised to witness the establishment of an artificial intelligence center, category 2, in the capital, Riyadh, to augment international efforts in this domain. At another level within Saudi Arabia, the Royal Commission for AlUla has embarked on a new chapter of partnership with UNESCO. The Commission has announced the initiation of the second phase of the cooperation agreement, uniting both parties in pursuits related to heritage preservation, education, and capacity-building within the fields of antiquities and creative arts in AlUla. The Kingdom is dedicated to bolstering the Saudi creative economy, recognizing the potential of culture and creativity to contribute to sustainable development, and enabling and encouraging creative individuals to participate in the economy. This aligns with the objectives of UNESCO and responds to the organization’s declaration of the year 2021 as the International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development.   Ladies and Gentlemen, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia extends its support to the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) strategy, recognizing the pivotal role these countries play in the draft resolution. We are optimistic that the active involvement of the island states in the decision-making process will foster more inclusive and equitable outcomes. Furthermore, we are pleased to share the announcement from His Royal Highness, the Saudi Crown Prince, and Prime Minister regarding the establishment of a Global Water Organization aimed at amplifying global efforts to address water challenges holistically. This initiative emanates from the Kingdom, aiming to unite global efforts to tackle water supply challenges and provide a platform for the most affected communities to deliberate on challenges related to this crucial issue. In view of the Kingdom’s re-election as a member of the Executive Council of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission at its 32nd session, we reaffirm the Kingdom's commitment to its vital role in promoting international cooperation with the aim of realizing the objectives pursued by this Commission. On the sidelines of the accomplishments realized during the expanded 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, which I have mentioned above, the Kingdom is honored to be nominated to host the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT in 2025. In the 216 session of the Executive Board, the Kingdom conveyed its readiness to host the upcoming conference, and we anticipate cooperation in this regard with UNESCO and all member states. In the context of establishing the open-ended working group for member states of the World Heritage Convention, which was adopted within the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, the Kingdom is pleased to accept the chairmanship; we look forward to cooperation to achieve the objectives for which this group was established. In conclusion, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aspires to sustain its role as an active member of UNESCO and achieve the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals, aligning with the objectives of our ambitious national plan: Saudi Vision 2030.   Thank you for listening, and may the peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.

  Madam Chairperson of the Executive Board Mr. President of the General Conference Ms. Director-General of UNESCO Your Highnesses, Excellencies, Permanent Delegates of Member States and Observers Ladies and Gentlemen May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you First of all, I would like to announce the supporting of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the statement of the Arab Group, which will be delivered by the sisterly state of Kuwait. Ladies and Gentlemen The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains an active member of UNESCO's activities, and the organization's mission is to lay the foundations for peace. The Kingdom is an ever-active member in deepening international cooperation among member states. We believe in the importance of strengthening solidarity for peace and achieving the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which are in line with the objectives of our Kingdom’s ambitious plan: Saudi Vision 2030. And after reviewing the Program Implementation Report, we would like to express our gratitude to the organization's secretariat for their efforts to develop a clearer and more transparent format for the report. This format enables member states to monitor the organization's achievements, challenges faced in the past year and facilitates ongoing work on the report to ensure greater inclusivity and precision, thus enabling the appropriate decision-making by Member States. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its gratitude to the organization for its interest in the draft resolution submitted by the Kingdom and the sisterly State of Kuwait in the 215th Executive Board. The resolution aims to establish a global framework for open science in response to pandemics. Its objective is to create a flexible global system for capacity development and knowledge transfer. This will enable the countries with the greatest need for such a system to attain self-sufficiency in accessing information, ensuring their resilience in the face of any future pandemic. - God forbid. Honorable guests The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia supports the strategy of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and looks forward to its effective and practical implementation. We reaffirm the importance of cooperation and collective action in serving the sustainable development of these countries. We also refer to the organization’s strategy of human resources management and express our anticipation for achieving a balanced geographical distribution of employment within UNESCO. This approach will contribute to the desired human development for citizens of Member States, aligning with the organization's mandate. It will also foster greater harmony in the organization’s work and among its personnel, while achieving the cultural diversity necessary for UNESCO to serve as an exemplary model in translating ambition into action. In that same context, we would like to emphasize the importance of further capitalizing on the Junior Professional Officers Program (JPO). This includes encouraging the participation of experts from their respective countries and urging their employment within the organization. By leveraging their qualification, we can achieve greater investment returns in the organization's interest and the fulfillment of its mandate. On the heels of the successful World Conference on Cultural Policies (Mondiacult) held in the United Mexican States last year, we recognize the significance of incorporating the cultural dimension into the formulation of the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development beyond 2030. Within this framework, we affirm the Kingdom's commitment to preserving culture in its post-2030 development plan. We also take pride in the Kingdom's pioneering role as the first country to advocate for the inclusion of the cultural dimension in the agenda of the G20 Summit and to recognize UNESCO as a stakeholder. During its presidency of the G20 Summit in 2020, at the inaugural joint meeting of the G20 Ministers of Culture, we commend the countries leading the Group: the Italian Republic, the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of India. We appreciate their dedication to this significant dimension and for incorporating it into the agendas of their respective G20 Summit Presidencies. Ladies and Gentlemen The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long been committed to promoting sports values, ethics and integrity. Within these efforts, the Kingdom strives to implement these values in the field of sports and advance sports integrity on a global scale. In February of this year, the Saudi capital Riyadh hosted the Global Ministerial Conference on Sports Ethics, Values, and Integrity 2023, marking it as the world’s inaugural conference of its kind. The conference aimed to contribute to the enhancement of integrity, sports values, and honest competition across sports-related domains, aligning with the Kingdom's objectives that are in line with UNESCO's goals in this area. Within the framework of the ongoing cooperation between the Kingdom and UNESCO, we have recently witnessed the release of a joint newsletter. This newsletter stands as one of the outcomes of the productive partnership between the Royal Commission for AlUla and UNESCO. The objective of this partnership is to preserve and promote awareness of the documentary heritage in AlUla, while harnessing its potential as a valuable resource for intercultural dialogue and global citizenship education. This initiative falls under the auspices of the UNESCO Memory of the World program. Finally, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia eagerly anticipates hosting the upcoming session of the World Heritage Committee in September. We extend a warm welcome to all Permanent Delegations of Member States to visit Riyadh. Welcome to Saudi Arabia! Thank you for listening - and may God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you  

The Kingdom, represented by the Permanent Delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO, is participating in the proceedings of the 216th session of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The inaugural sessions of this event, which are held at the Organization's headquarters in the French capital, Paris, commenced today and will continue until the 24th of this month.   The Kingdom is represented in the proceedings of the 216th session of the UNESCO Executive Board by Her Highness Princess Haifa bint Abdulaziz Al Mogrin, the Permanent Delegate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO, the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee, the Chairperson of the Program and External Relations Committee emanating from the Executive Board, in cooperation with the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture and Science.     Her Highness delivered the Kingdom's speech at the opening session of the Board's proceedings, where she affirmed that the Kingdom is an active member in UNESCO's activities and the Organization's mission in establishing the foundations of peace. She emphasized the Kingdom's efforts in deepening international cooperation between the 193 member states of the Organization and contributing to achieving the goals of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which are aligned with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The Permanent Delegate also thanked the Organization for its interest in the draft resolution presented by the Kingdom and the State of Kuwait during the proceedings of the 215th session of the Executive Board. Her Highness pointed out that this resolution project aims to create a flexible global system for capacity building and knowledge transfer, which will enable the neediest countries to achieve self-sufficiency in accessing information to confront any future pandemic. This project aims to establish a global framework for open science in the face of pandemics. Her Highness indicated the Kingdom's support for the Small Island Developing States strategy, affirming that the Kingdom looks forward to effective and practical implementation of the strategy and to collective work that can serve the sustainable development of these states. HH Princess Haifa additionally highlighted the success of the World Conference on Cultural Policies (Mondiacult), held in the United Mexican States last year. She pointed out the importance of including the cultural dimension in formulating the United Nations' post-2030 sustainable development agenda. She confirmed the Kingdom's determination to sustain culture in its development plan after Saudi Vision 2030. She also expressed her pride in the Kingdom's role as the first country to initiate the inclusion of a cultural dimension in the G20 Summit agenda and that of UNESCO as a stakeholder in the first joint meeting of G20 Culture Ministers during its presidency of the 2020 G20 Summit. The Permanent Delegate emphasized the depth of the relationship between the Kingdom and UNESCO, referring to Saudi Arabia's hosting of the Global Ministerial Conference on Values, Ethics, and Sports Integrity 2023 in February of this year. Her Highness referred to the partnership between the Royal Commission for AlUla and UNESCO, which includes preserving documentary heritage in AlUla while raising awareness on the site and activating its potential as a resource for dialogue between cultures and teaching global citizenship. Her Highness concluded her speech by expressing the Kingdom's aspiration to host the World Heritage Committee in the Saudi capital Riyadh in September, the first in-person meeting of this committee in the last four years, which will allow for discussions on the registration of heritage sites of great importance on a global level. The Kingdom's strategic position in the Organization is reflected by its membership in three central entities in UNESCO: the Executive Board, which includes 58 member states; the World Heritage Committee, and the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.