In today’s interconnected world, culture's power to transform societies is clear. Its diverse manifestations – from our cherished historic monuments and museums to traditional practices and contemporary art forms – enrich our everyday lives in countless ways. Heritage constitutes a source of identity and cohesion for communities disrupted by bewildering change and economic instability. Creativity contributes to building open, inclusive and pluralistic societies. Both heritage and creativity lay the foundations for vibrant, innovative and prosperous knowledge societies.

The role of UNESCO Beirut Office as a cluster office for culture in Lebanon and Syria is a crucial one considering the uniqueness and richness of this region's cultural heritage, and the major and diverse threats this heritage is facing, mainly due to armed conflict. Preserving heritage sites is one of UNESCO’s key goals, and a very challenging one. Thus, UNESCO is dedicating considerable resources to support local authorities in protecting and safeguarding their tangible and intangible heritage, which is considered an essential step towards cherishing cultural pluralism, achieving sustainable peace and economic prosperity.