The Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova designated Her Royal Highness Princess Dana Firas, President of the Petra National Trust, as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador during an official ceremony, which took place at UNESCO Headquarters on June 29th 2017.

This title was bestowed upon HRH Princess Dana Firas “in recognition of her outstanding commitment to heritage protection and preservation as pillars for sustainable development, her contribution to responsible tourism and community participation notably through her activities as President of the Petra National Trust and for her dedication to the ideals and aims of the Organization”.

“Very few places in the world have such cultural beauty and historical density as Petra. So much history, so many stories are engraved into the stone and spirit of this outstanding and unique cultural heritage. Petra was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985, and it is our collective duty to protect and transmit it to future generations. Your Royal Highness have made this duty a personal commitment”, said the Director-General in the speech she delivered on that occasion. She also expressed her deep gratitude for outstanding work, in raising awareness about the beauty and fragility of Petra, in mobilising civil society, in alerting the government on its responsibility, and in sustaining its efforts over the long term.

In her acceptance speech, HRH Princess Dana Firas expressed her pride in joining UNESCO’s prestigious family of Goodwill Ambassadors and recalled the importance of protecting cultural heritage. She also renewed her intention to support UNESCO’s work aiming at preserving the World Heritage sites, through the three working areas of the Petra National Trust – implementation of preservation projects with specialized partners; local, regional and international advocacy to ensure that cultural heritage preservation is a priority; and development of a pioneering cultural education programme –.

In the speech he delivered on that occasion, His Excellency Ambassador Makram Al Qaisi, Permanent Delegate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to UNESCO, emphasized HRH Princess Dana Firas’s commitment to the issues of sustainable tourism and cultural heritage preservation. He also thanked the Director-General for designating HRH Princess Dana Firas as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

To view the event's pictures please visit the photo gallery.