The UNESCO Geneva Liaison Office together with the United Nations Cultural Activities in Geneva, supported by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and University for Peace, held an exhibition featuring the Arabic alphabet on 10 September 2019 at the Palais des Nations in the margins of the 42nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The exhibition, entitled “Calligraphy for Dialogue” by the Saudi Arabian artist Mr. Othman Khuzaim, is a collection of 30 paintings that consists of the Arabic alphabet written in different colors and styles, each with its own unique artistic interpretation of the promotion of the Culture of Peace.
Facilitated by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this exhibition will be on display free and open to the public until 23 September with interactive sessions planned throughout the duration of the exhibition. Mr. Khuzaim will be present at the exhibition to showcase and explain his works to those who are interested.
The Director of the UNESCO Geneva Liaison Office Mr. Abdulaziz Almuzaini has extended his warm welcome to the public as the exhibition is pertinent to the work of UNESCO and fits well within the framework of the United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms whereby cultural right is promoted through dialogue, tolerance and mutual understanding.
“UNESCO advocates that culture is the most effective means for enabling people to increase their share of worldwide creative production and overcome the challenges that art and creativity face in a globalized and digital world. The exhibition is designed to promote cultural diversity by offering ancestral calligraphy works,” Mr. Almuzaini said.
The coming 13 September marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace by the United Nations General Assembly, which is an important peace landmark promoted by UNESCO. In this context, this exhibition also serves to celebrate the continuous effort the international community has dedicated to the promotion of the Culture of Peace.
The UNESCO Geneva Liaison Office is the primary intermediary between the UNESCO Secretariat and the diverse range of intergovernmental platforms and international actors present in International Geneva.