Qatar to host ACD conference on cultural diversity

Aug 27, 2019

Adding to the list of prestigious international events Qatar has hosted in recent times, another significant regional conference on cultural diversity, an Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) meet, is set for kick-off next week.

The high-profile conference will convene representatives from the 34 member states of the ACD and is being organized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports (MoCS) in Qatar jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ACD.

In a press statement, MoCS said the conference highlights the role of Qatar as a reliable partner at the international level as well as its role as chair of ACD this year.

Qatar will host a regional conference on cultural diversity on September 2 to highlight its importance and its role in bringing people closer together with the participation of representatives of member states in the Asia Cooperation Dialogue.#QNA
— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) August 26, 2019

The event demonstrates the importance of cultural interactions in strengthening relations between Qatar and member states.

Qatar took over the presidency of the ACD for the year 2019 in September last year and vowed to strengthen Asian consensus and cooperation, the development of the inter-Asian working mechanisms, as well as boost trade and economic partnerships.

The event will take place under the motto: 'Culture is a bridge for dialogue and understanding.'

The two-day conference will feature several discussion sessions and working papers, in addition to talks by senior officials on the importance of culture as an important bridge between people.

It will see the participation of experts from various institutions in several countries as well as a group of representatives of the ACD countries, and ACD Secretary-General Pornchai Danvivathana.

The sessions on the first day of the conference will discuss cultural diversity and its impact on Asian societies. A variety of experiences in the area of cultural diversity from Japan, Qatar, and Oman will be presented.

The second day of the conference will shed light on issues related to communication and rapprochement between the cultures of Asian countries.

Qatar's keenness on organizing such events and activities stems from the special attention it attaches to the ACD system as it is the largest bloc within the framework of the Asian continent, said His Excellency Khalid bin Ibrahim bin Abdulrahman al-Hamar, Director of the Asian Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is the chair of this session of the ACD.

He further mentioned that the event echoes Qatar's eagerness to promote constructive and fruitful interaction between the countries of Asia in all areas of cooperation and to open doors for finding common opportunities to help improve the standard of living of people.

Director of the Culture and Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture and Sports and member of the organizing committee Hamad Al Zakiba said the conference will introduce the participants to the cultural and civilizational landscape of Qatar and encourage cultural tourism and the related economic opportunities.

ACD was inaugurated in June 2002 in Cha-Am, Thailand, where 18 Asian foreign ministers met together for the first time.

ACD ministers meet annually at the ACD Ministerial Meetings to discuss ACD developments, issues of regional cooperation and ways to enhance and solidify Asian unity.

In April this year, Qatar also hosted the 16th ministerial meeting of the ACD, where HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also met with the heads of delegations that participated in the event.

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