Pakistan and UNESCO have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in heritage preservation, cultural promotion, and technical capacity building during a high-level meeting between Director-General UNESCO Dr. Khaled El-Enany and Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture.
The meeting focused on aligning Pakistan’s cultural policies with international standards and exploring new avenues of cooperation to safeguard the country’s rich cultural legacy.
Director-General UNESCO Dr. Khaled El-Enany lauded Pakistan’s efforts for preserving its cultural heritage and acknowledged the work of the National Heritage and Culture Division in promoting and safeguarding historical assets. He emphasized that culture should remain accessible to a wider public, stating that despite diverse traditions, societies are united through shared cultural values. He described culture as a powerful social message and assured UNESCO’s continued support to Pakistan in preserving its rich heritage.
Dr. El-Enany highlighted UNESCO’s ongoing efforts to simplify heritage preservation processes through digital transformation and improving accessibility to heritage sites. He proposed new initiatives including the promotion of heritage tourism, organization of capacity-building workshops for technical staff, and identification of projects requiring UNESCO’s technical assistance, particularly in monument restoration and documentation of traditional arts. He also stressed the importance of strengthening Lok Virsa’s role as a national technical hub for future Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) engagements.
Federal Minister warmly welcomed Dr. El-Enany and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to UNESCO’s mission of promoting cultural heritage and education. He acknowledged UNESCO’s longstanding partnership with Pakistan since 1963, particularly its pivotal role in the preservation of Mohenjo-Daro under the “Save Moenjodaro” campaign.
The Minister highlighted Pakistan’s diverse historical legacy, noting that six sites Taxila, Takht-e-Bahi, Makli (Thatta), Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens, Rohtas Fort, and Mohenjo-Daro are currently inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. He informed that Pakistan has also placed 25 sites, including Badshahi Mosque, Hiran Minar, Harappa, and Mehrgarh, on the tentative list for future inscription, while the Department of Archaeology has proposed additional sites for consideration.
Referring to Pakistan’s ancient civilization, the Minister highlighted the 9,000-year-old archaeological remains at Mehrgarh and shared plans to establish an institution for heritage and museum development in Karachi, which was endorsed by the UNESCO Director-General as a positive regional initiative. He also underscored the importance of Intangible Cultural Heritage as a tool for social cohesion and resilience, noting that the traditional folk singing art “Boreendo” has been inscribed on UNESCO’s ICH list for urgent safeguarding.
Secretary National Heritage and Culture Division Asad Rehman Gillani sought UNESCO’s technical expertise for restoration of historic monuments and documentation of traditional arts. He proposed joint research opportunities and exploration of funding avenues for heritage conservation projects. He also requested UNESCO’s guidance in aligning Pakistan’s domestic heritage policies with international standards and suggested developing timelines for joint initiatives along with regular review meetings to monitor progress.
The Secretary further sought UNESCO’s support for several ICH and World Heritage site nominations currently in the pipeline. During the meeting, it was also proposed that UNESCO Office Islamabad may coordinate cultural heritage matters through the Pakistan National Commission for UNESCO and the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan, which remains the State Party signatory to the UNESCO Convention 1972.
The meeting was attended by Chief of Section PAX UNESCO Headquarters Omar Moneib, UNESCO Country Representative Fuad Pashayev, Minister of State Huzaifa Rahman, Parliamentary Secretary Farah Naz Akbar, and heads of cultural institutions working under the Ministry.
The meeting reaffirmed Pakistan and UNESCO’s shared resolve to enhance cooperation in heritage conservation, promote intangible cultural heritage, strengthen technical collaboration, and expand cultural tourism and research initiatives to protect and promote Pakistan’s cultural identity at the global level.
