25 May 2022
The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities Participates in the “Regional Forum on Governance in the Field of Culture”, held in Sousse, Tunisia
Chaired by Dr. Mohamed Ould Amor, Director-General of ALECSO, and Dr. Hayat Guermazi, Tunisian Minister of Culture, The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities participated in the “Regional Forum on Governance in the Field of Culture” which was held in the city of Sousse in the Republic of Tunisia from 12 to 14 May 2022. The Arab Organization jointly organized the symposium for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO) and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia, attended also by Arab Culture Ministers, representatives from eleven Arab countries and international and regional organizations, experts and researchers specialized in cultural affairs and joint Arab action organizations. Ms. Haya Al-Sada, Head of Cultural Affairs at the Department of Culture and Arts represented the Culture Authority in the meeting.
Indeed, the symposium discussed mainly Arab experiences in the field of cultural governance, and was divided into high-level scientific sessions, panel discussions, networking, exchange of experiences and building relationships.
The symposium explored ways and means to enhance the culture of governance in Arab cultural institutions. Focus was laid on governance principles, tools, mechanisms, and legal frameworks, and the role of governance in enhancing the contribution of cultural institutions to serving development goals.
In addition, the Fifth scientific session entitled “the Regional Symposium on “Governance in the field of Culture : Arab Experiences in Cultural Governance”,” which was held on Friday, May 13, 2022, Ms. Haya Al-Sada shed light on cultural governance and related legislation at the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities. Al-Sada pointed out that BACA supports the role of culture in enhancing national identity and implementing a national program for social culture, modernization and updated reviews of the structure of legal procedures to protect antiquities and heritage, the effective tools to better manage old cities and historical sites in the Kingdom.
The symposium includes scientific sessions to discuss the state of cultural governance in Arab countries. It also involves the presentation of Arab relevant successful experiences, with emphasis on the key role of governance in the achievement of development goals, the management of cultural projects, and the protection and valorization of heritage.
There is no doubt that the aim of the symposium centered on best ways to enhance governance within cultural institutions in the Arab countries, and to introduce the tools and mechanisms of governance and the necessary legal frameworks to activate its principles in cultural affairs. Governance has certainly a crucial s role in activating cultural institutions in order to achieve development goals, and to develop legislation that regulates cultural work, in accordance with international standards and professional practices.
Moreover, the “Regional Forum on Governance in the Field of Culture” sought to approach Arab experiences in the field of culture government, launch a process of exchanging experiences between countries and help local cultural institutions apply the principles of good governance in managing resources. Organization and management in an optimal manner, and support the sound decision-making mechanism that enables the achievement of comprehensive and sustainable development of cultural institutions, was also discussed.
It is hoped that the forum will achieve several outcomes, such as developing an action plan to promote a culture of governance within cultural institutions in Arab countries, launching the Arab Network for Good Governance in the Field of Culture, and launching an Arab project to measure integrity and transparency in the cultural sector.
