Portugal took part in the Palestinian Culture Conference, which is being held in Madrid. Among more than thirty delegations that confirmed their presence are ministers from Egypt, Algeria, Poland, and Luxembourg, state secretaries from France, Portugal, and Uruguay, representatives from Libya and Tunisia, as well as ambassadors and heads of UNESCO and the Arab League.
Spain's Position on the Venue
During a press conference dedicated to the event, Spain's Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, stated that it should not be considered normal for this first conference to take place in Madrid rather than in Palestinian territory. He emphasized that the Spanish government is working towards the second edition being held in Palestine.
Goals and Themes of the Conference
Urtasun, accompanied by the Palestinian Ambassador to Spain, Husni Abdel Wahhed, explained that the goal of the conference is to bring together cultural ministers and leaders from different countries to determine how the international community can 'urgently and sustainably' support the cultural recovery of Palestine. According to Urtasun, the conference will examine six main areas: analysis of the destruction that has occurred, heritage protection, the role of art and literature, Palestinian cinema, digital transformation, and strategies for transforming the cultural sector.
Specifically, it was stated that there is a need to move 'from diagnosis to action, from resource accumulation to supporting cultural recovery.'
Opening and Participants' Statements
The opening ceremony, scheduled for the 15th, will take place at the Prado Museum. Palestinian director Basel Adra, who won an Oscar for Best Documentary, UNESCO Deputy Director for Culture Naif Al-Fayed, and Palestinian Minister of Culture Emad Hamdan will attend. In his speech, the minister noted that 'any genocide entails cultural genocide.' For his part, the Palestinian ambassador condemned Israeli intentions to destroy Palestinian culture, stating: 'All cultural centers, all libraries, and all universities in the Gaza Strip have been deliberately destroyed.' He added that this is the result of a conscious policy to eliminate all traces of the culture and the future of the Palestinian people.