23 June 2014 – Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Philippines to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro met with H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chairperson of the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee currently taking place in Doha, Qatar from June 15 to 25.
H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hammad is Founder and Chairperson of Qatar Museums Authority and the Doha Film Institute. She is the sister of the Emir of Qatar, H.E. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. In April 2014, TIME named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and she has been ranked by Forbes as one of the world's 100 most powerful women.
H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa thanked Ambassador Lazaro for the Philippines’ constructive and active participation in the Committee. She also highlighted the contribution of Filipinos to the economy and to the development of Qatar.
For her part, the Ambassador congratulated H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa for her effective chairmanship of the World Heritage Committee, and expressed the Philippines’ interest to partner with Qatar in strengthening disaster risk reduction to protect world heritage sites.
During the Committee meeting, Qatar announced it would initiate a special fund for world heritage sites facing threats due to natural disasters, climate change, and conflicts.
Ambassador Lazaro also suggested enhancing art and cultural exchange between the Philippines and Qatar. H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa welcomed the idea and stated that she looked forward to advancing cultural cooperation with the Philippines. END