Dr Hamad Bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari tells Shannon Ebrahim that he chose to launch his global campaign to head Unesco in SA because of the importance he attaches to both this country and the continent.
What Africa needs is someone at the helm of Unesco who is genuinely committed to preserve our cultural heritage sites that are increasingly endangered.
Without such a champion, the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, the largest collection of ruins in sub-Saharan Africa, will continue to deteriorate.
The ruins are falling apart, and despite being designated a Unesco World Heritage Site, there has been little government funding to preserve their remaining structures which date back to the 11th and 12th century.
One of our own Unesco World Heritage Sites – Robben Island – is also at risk of losing key parts of its heritage, which are being devoured by the sea.
The stone quarry, where most of the political prisoners of the liberation movements spent their days chipping and hauling stones, is in the process of being washed away. Large segments of the quarry’s barrier wall, built by political prisoners in the 1960s, have already been eroded by the sea.
At a time of slowed economic growth which has compelled governments in sub-Saharan Africa to introduce stringent cost-cutting measures, as a continent, we are in urgent need of a champion at the helm of Unesco who will ensure that the necessary resources are committed to preserve these testaments to our history.
What we want to avoid are more African World Heritage Sites losing their status, as has happened to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Tipasa. There are currently 17 African sites on the endangered list, five of which are in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The race for the new director-general of Unesco is already under way, and this week, the minister adviser to the Emir of Qatar is in South Africa to launch his campaign.
Having announced his candidature in Paris, the headquarters of Unesco, and in his home capital of Doha, Dr Hamad Bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari chose to launch his global campaign in South Africa, which he sees as symbolic of the importance he attaches to both this country and the continent.
“I have a deep affection for South Africa, having served as the vice-chair of the Committee Against Apartheid at the UN from 1985 to 1990,” Kawari told Independent Media this week.
Kawari’s role in the fight against apartheid at the UN is the first thing which struck President Jacob Zuma as he reviewed his CV prior to their meeting on his last visit to Qatar.
Kawari told Independent Media this week that his priority is to preserve Africa’s cultural heritage, and that preserving Robben Island as a heritage site will be a priority, as is the rebuilding of Timbuktu.
He plans to travel to Zimbabwe and other African countries to learn of their preservation needs, and more importantly, to act on them.
Kawari is eminently qualified for the position, given his global career as an ambassador, statesman and academic. He graduated with a BA in Arabic studies in Cairo, an MA in Oriental studies in Beirut, and a PhD in political science in New York.
His extensive international career has also deepened his commitment to advancing multiculturalism, having served as ambassador to Lebanon, Syria, France, the United States and the UN. He also was Qatar’s representative to Unesco from 1979 to 1984.
In his own country, Kawari was the architect of Qatar’s soft power strategy, and an advocate of cultural diplomacy.
He has a deeply entrenched belief in the freedom of expression, having demolished Qatar’s ministry of information in 1997, and lifted the censorship laws imposed on newspapers and publications. Most recently, he served his country as minister for Culture from 2008 to 2016.
Kawari’s motto is that heritage is the conscience of the international community, and he hopes to ensure advance preservation efforts from the rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia to the ancient city of Palmyra.
*Ebrahim is the foreign editor of Independent Newspapers
The Star