Ways of promoting the Arab world's rich cultural heritage will be the focus of a key meeting in Bahrain, which will also discuss how this can help the region enhance its image to the rest of the world.

Culture ministers from across the region, gathering in the kingdom for the meeting, will review Bahrain's success in hosting several high-profile events marking Manama as the Capital of Arab Culture for 2012, according to a report in our sister publication the Gulf Daily News.

The standing committee for culture met yesterday (November 10) at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa to prepare for the ministerial meeting, which will be hosted by the Culture Ministry.

The committee reviewed overall perceptions about the culture in the Arab countries, and the future of the "Capitals of Arab Culture" project.

Members also discussed a study on the cultural heritage in the Arab world, and the charter of maintaining its architectural heritage, and how to maintain communication with other cultures of the world.

The meeting also discussed the Arab cultural agreements to protect copyrights, the folklore, along with the application of the draft Convention of the Common Arab Cultural Market, and the Arab Convention to facilitate the transition of the Arab cultural production. The agenda included Libya's request to nominate Tripoli as the capital of Arab culture for 2014.

The meeting also discussed the countries' views on launching the conferences directory, a website for the conference, modernisation of the Arab Decade for Cultural Development 2005-2014, the preparation of an assessment study for the national projects and the formation of a legal committee to provide an assessment overview and a strategic vision for the cultural conventions.

The meeting called on the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation to form a legal committee to look into the Palestinian issue and provide a strategic vision of the legal agreements related to the Palestinian cause.

The members also hailed the project of celebrating cultural symbols of the Arab heritage submitted by Tunisia, as well as celebrating Jerusalem as a permanent capital for developing Arab culture. – TradeArabia News Service