Intangible Cultural Heritage as a Basis for Strengthening Cultural Diplomacy and Regional Convergence

The chair of the Governing Council of the Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia described the living heritage of nations as a strategic asset for expanding cultural interactions and responding to global challenges, and stressed the need to turn the region's shared civilizational capacities into sustainable cooperation.

Darabi at the conclusion of the seventh regular meeting of the Board of Governors:

The Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Regional Studies Center for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia considered the living heritage of nations as a strategic asset for expanding cultural interactions and responding to global challenges and emphasized the necessity of transforming the common civilizational capacities of the region into sustainable cooperation.

According to the Arya Heritage report, Ali Darabi, at the closing ceremony of the seventh meeting of the Board of Governors of the Regional Studies Center for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia in Tehran today, emphasizing the role of cultural diplomacy in the development of relations between countries, said: "Culture can keep the path of dialogue, trust building and cooperation open, even in situations where political differences create distance between nations."

The Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage and Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, pointing to the increasing importance of intangible cultural heritage in facing global issues, added: indigenous knowledge and historical experience of communities in sustainable management of water resources, ensuring food security, adapting to climate changes and strengthening social resilience are valuable capacities to respond to the needs of humanity today and in the future.

He clarified: Intangible cultural heritage is no longer just a relic of the past, but a treasure of human wisdom and experience that should be used for sustainable development and improvement of the lives of communities with the participation of local communities and heritage carriers.

Referring to the civilizational background of Western and Central Asia, the head of the board of governors of this center said: The regional center for the protection of intangible cultural heritage should be transformed beyond an administrative structure into a center for connecting the knowledge, experiences and cultural capacities of the countries of the region and a platform for strengthening convergence and joint cooperation.

Emphasizing the necessity of the continuation of interactions between the member states, he noted: the achievement of the seventh meeting of the Council of Governors is not limited to its approvals, but strengthening mutual trust and accepting joint responsibility for the future of the region's living heritage is one of the most important results of this meeting.

Stating that the soft power of culture can provide the basis for overcoming political deadlocks, Darabi said: "If politics sometimes emphasizes borders, culture can reveal common horizons."

In the end, he thanked the representatives of UNESCO, the members of the Council of Governors and those involved in holding the meeting, expressed the hope that the interactions formed in Tehran will lead to the expansion of cultural cooperation and the strengthening of the civilizational ties of the nations of the region, and announced the end of the seventh meeting of the Council of Governors.