Incheon:The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) has adopted a series of resolutions aimed at enhancing the support for education, culture, and science in Palestine. These decisions were put forward by the State of Palestine to ensure the continuity of education within the region.
According to Palestine news & Information Agency, the resolutions were adopted during the meetings of ALECSO's Executive Board and its 28th General Conference, held in the Sultanate of Oman. The Palestinian delegation, led by Ali Zidan Abu Zuhri, a member of the PLO Executive Committee and President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, presented these initiatives. The delegation also included Jihad Ramadan, the Commission's Secretary-General, and Ahmad al-Ruwaidi, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Oman.
The resolutions include the development of an urgent Arab plan to support education and the initiation of a multi-year program to rehabilitate Palestinian educational, scientific, and cultural institutions. Additionally, the resolutions aim to bolster higher education and scientific research and to enhance partnerships and twinning programs between Palestinian and Arab universities and schools.
ALECSO has also approved a feasibility study to establish an Arab observatory designed to document and monitor the state of education, culture, and science in Palestine. This observatory will document damages and violations while developing a specialized database. Furthermore, decisions were made to support Palestinian cultural and media institutions, preserve national memory, protect cultural heritage, and reinforce educational and cultural identity in Jerusalem. This includes support for schools, educational resources, annual reporting, and digital documentation of the city's heritage.
ALECSO's resolutions include making Jerusalem a comprehensive Arab priority in its programs and launching an initiative to twin Jerusalem as a Child-Friendly Capital with other Arab cities designated as child-friendly capitals starting in 2027. This initiative aims to highlight the conditions of Palestinian children under occupation, protect their Arab identity, and promote joint educational and cultural programs.
In his address to the meetings, Abu Zuhri emphasized that education, culture, and science are critical components of Palestinian resilience and essential tools for preserving national and cultural identity amid the challenges of war, displacement, and the systematic targeting of Palestinian institutions. He highlighted that the situation in Palestine, especially in the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, surpasses a humanitarian emergency and is a direct attack on the right to education, knowledge, and culture. Abu Zuhri called for actions beyond expressions of solidarity, urging for the implementation of practical and sustainable Arab programs to rehabilitate Palestinian institutions, support education, and provide necessary resources and expertise to strengthen resilience.
