08 June 2021
H.E BACA’s Director General of Culture & Arts Gives a Webinar Lecture on Cultural Diplomacy, Organized by the Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Diplomatic Academy for Diplomatic Studies and the Parliamentary Studies and Training Centre and attended by MPs.
Her Excellency Shaikha Hala bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, Director-General of Culture and Arts at the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, participated, on Tuesday, June 8th, 2021, in webinar lecture presentation titled "Diplomatic Work: Cultural Diplomacy". This lecture, which is organized by the Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies, is part of a series of lectures and discussion sessions aimed at their Excellencies members of the House of Representatives, and as part of the professional diploma offered by the Academy entitled “Diploma of Parliamentary Diplomacy” in cooperation with the Parliamentary Studies and Training Center. It is aimed to enhance diplomatic culture and mechanisms, raising the awareness about knowledge-based tools and highly needed requirements for successful diplomatic output work among members of parliament (MPs).
Her Excellency Shaikha Hala bint Mohammed Al Khalifa first expressed her sincere thanks to the Mohammed bin Mubarak Academy for Diplomatic Studies for the invitation to attend the virtual lecture. Her Excellency, then, added that the cultural presence in diplomacy has a direct impact on international relations and solid ties between countries, offering mutual and common workspaces. In addition, Her Excellency stressed the importance of the Kingdom of Bahrain's participation in the efforts of the international community to support cultural work and preserve the heritage of all humanity, given that Bahrain ratified many international conventions and agreements related to culture and heritage, such as the 1973 World Heritage Convention, the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage adopted in 2001. The Kingdom of Bahrain also hosts Manama-based Arab Regional Center for World Heritage since 2012, a center that contributes to supporting Arab countries in safeguarding and preserving their heritage sites and ancient deeply-rooted civilizational heritage.
BACA’s Director-general of Culture and Arts also said that added that the bright achievements of the Kingdom of Bahrain in cultural work has led to international recognition. Thus, Bahrain won the membership and chaired the World Heritage Committee twice, and during 2018, the Kingdom hosted the World Heritage Committee Meeting, which was attended by more than 2,000 participants from around the world, including experts, specialists and senior official. Indeed, the event was considered a unique opportunity to promote Bahrain’s culture and civilization on a global level. Her Excellency Shaikha Hala bint Mohammed Al Khalifa said that the Culture Authority is also interested in involving the embassies of friendly countries from around the world in annual festivals and seasons, given the melting pot of cultures and beautiful traditional arts they offer.
Her Excellency has also pointed out that cultural places such as museums have formed over the past years a meeting point for ambassadors, intellectuals and artists, as the Culture Authority has organized many exhibitions from abroad that reflect the importance of world culture and nations ‘refined arts exhibitions. Indeed, Bahrain Culture Authority hosted at the Bahrain National Museum the "50 Years of Diplomacy" exhibition that spotlighted major milestones in Bahrain's diplomatic history. Her Excellency explained that, given that promoting World Heritage sites in Bahrain is world open-air museum most effective promotion campaign, the Kingdom succeeded in registering three Bahraini sites on the World Heritage List: the Bahrain Fort in 2005, the Pearling Path in 2012, and the Dilmun Burial Mounds in 2019.
During the webinar lecture presentation, Her Excellency also mentioned world-class titles and awards won by t Bahraini cities, such as Manama, Capital of Arab Culture 2012, Manama, Capital of Arab Tourism 2013, Muharraq, Capital of Islamic Culture in 2018. In addition, the city of Muharraq also won the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Islamic Architecture in 2019, and that thanks to the proposal submitted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, the UNESCO General Assembly has designated November 18 of each year as the International Day of Islamic Art. There is no doubt that this world day event would enhance the role of culture in strengthening global partnership, Her Excellency asserted.
While still listing the outstanding outcomes and roles of culture diplomacy, Her Excellency praised the “Culture and Diplomacy Conference”, which was hosted by the Bahrain National Theater in October 2019, in cooperation between the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and the Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies. In fact, the conference shed light on important aspects of the cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Bahrain and its international implications represented by soft powers and Bahraini cultural diplomacy, Her Excellency concluded.
