UNESCO Director-General affirms support for Cape Verde during first official visit in 23 years
Promoting cooperation in education, culture, and heritage protection
Written by: Mohamed Ragab
The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Dr. Khaled El-Enany, began an official visit to the Republic of Cape Verde, the first of its kind for a Director-General of the organization in 23 years.
She began her tour in the capital city of Praia, which is part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the field of music.
The visit included a meeting with Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho, which addressed ways to enhance cooperation between the two sides in a number of areas, including ocean science, addressing the effects of climate change, education, culture, and heritage protection, in support of sustainable development efforts in the country.
The city of Cidade Velha embodies the history of Cape Verde
During the visit, the Director-General of UNESCO toured the World Heritage city of Cidade Velha, the first colonial settlement and historic capital of Cape Verde.
She stressed that the city represents an important part of the country’s national identity and reflects the community’s ability to preserve its history and heritage, noting that culture and historical memory can contribute to building a more inclusive and sustainable future, in addition to supporting the local economy and enhancing development opportunities.
A visit to the National Archives and documentation of the history of slavery
The Director-General also visited the National Archives of Cape Verde, which contains historical documents relating to the slave trade, documents included in the international register of UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” program.
He praised the importance of preserving these historical documents, as they are part of human memory, and their role in documenting important pages of the history of the African continent and the world.
Special support for small island states
The Director-General stressed that Cape Verde, as a small island nation in Africa, is a priority within UNESCO’s programs, given the challenges it faces in the areas of climate change, environmental protection, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
He added that the organization will continue to work with the government to promote knowledge, protect heritage sites, and expand areas of international cooperation in ways that directly benefit local communities.
Ongoing partnership for development
The visit reflects UNESCO's keenness to expand its partnership with Cape Verde and support national efforts in the fields of education, culture and science, with a focus on protecting heritage and promoting sustainable development.
