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UNESCO Director-General meets the Director-General of ICRC to strengthen cooperation for the protect
On 31 March, 2015, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova met with Mr Yves Daccord, Director-General of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), in order to discuss the ways of deepening the cooperation between UNESCO and ICRC. They agreed on the imperative to join forces and work hand in hand to address the pressing challenges that stem from numerous armed conflicts in the world, where the cultural heritage and identity of people are under attack and threatened.
Referring to the concerns voiced by UNESCO with regard to the cultural cleansing and persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, Irina Bokova stated "the protection of cultural heritage goes hand in hand with the protection of the cultural diversity".
Irina Bokova underscored the critical importance of the integration of the cultural heritage protection dimension in the operational activities of ICRC in conflict zones and areas affected by natural disasters. She called also for the support to UNESCO’s campaign “#Unite4Heritage,” targeting youth, launched in Baghdad last week.
During the meeting, it was agreed to reinforce efforts for joint collaboration, including the future establishment of an agreement of cooperation between the two organizations to focus on the areas of mutual interest and concern.