Unesco’s Unite 4 Heritage programme was launched yesterday at Barzan Tower at Um Salal Mohamed area to spread awareness about heritage around the world.
The programme, which is set to go on for three months at the venue, was launched in Iraq by the Unesco director-general Irina Bokova on March 28 last year at the University of Baghdad.
In Qatar the event is being held by the Ministry of Culture and Sports in partnership with Qatar Museums and Unesco. Aiming to protect and safeguard heritage under threat, the initiative has turned into a global call to claim the importance of heritage for all, individually and collectively.
HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, Culture Adviser to HH the Emir, attended the launch ceremony along with a number of ambassadors and other dignitaries. The ceremony featured a variety of folk and heritage activities including traditional dances and display of handicrafts, in addition to Qatari traditional dishes served to the visitors.  
Over the next three months, the event will feature a number of lectures and workshops to engage public interest on the involved topics.
Al-Kuwari stressed the importance of preserving world heritage and protecting it against havoc and theft. He also pointed out that the Unite 4 Heritage campaign responds to the awakening of the human conscience that believes in the common values and the need to collective heritage of humanity.
He said Qatar is keen to support international efforts to maintain human heritage globally.