The 12th session of the ICESCO Islamic World Heritage Committee has commenced its work in Shusha, the cultural capital of the Islamic World 2024, Azernews reports.

The guests arriving in Shusha first took an excursion to cultural heritage sites.

Special Representative of the Azerbaijani President in Shusha district, Aydin Karimov, greeted the guests and wished success to the committee's work in his speech.

Then, a message from ICESCO's Director-General Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik was read to the conference participants.

In her remarks, Deputy Culture Minister Saadat Yusifova provided detailed information about Azerbaijan's cultural heritage and the state policy implemented for its preservation.

Noting that the Garabagh heritage holds a special place in our country's rich historical and cultural heritage, she shared statistical data on the historical sites destroyed during the occupation and spoke about the ongoing restoration and reconstruction work to revitalise the cultural environment and heritage.

The Deputy Culture Minister also stressed the importance of preserving natural heritage and discussed the international events and new initiatives planned by the Culture Ministry in the framework of COP29.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Saudi Arabia's representative Alayidarus Muhammed, thanked the host country, Azerbaijan, for the high-level organisation and provided information about the session's agenda.

At the end of the opening session, a special presentation dedicated to the Shusha State Reserve was shown. Afterward, the committee members took a group photo.

Following the break, the first session was held, during which director of the Islamic World Heritage Centre, Vebber Ndoro, presented the Centre's concept and priorities for the next two years.

Proposals from Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Qatar, Palestine, and other countries were discussed regarding the presentation.

Rizvan Bayramov, who represents Azerbaijan in the Experts' Council, suggested improving the relevant enumeration mechanisms regarding the non-Islamic heritage present in Islamic countries and the Islamic heritage present in non-Islamic countries.

In the second session, reports on projects implemented in 2024 were reviewed, and the proposals of the committee members were discussed.

The 12th session of the ICESCO Islamic World Heritage Committee will continue its work today.

With its rich cultural legacy, Azerbaijan joined the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) in 1991.

Since then, Azerbaijan has actively promoted the preservation of its Islamic cultural heritage.

The country successfully collaborates closely with various organisations, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Conference of Parliamentary Union, and the Islamic Conference of Youth Forum.