Resident Coordinator's Opening Remarks at the Unveiling Ceremony at Rashid Karami Fairground

Your Excellency Prime Minister Najib Mikati,

Distinguished guests,

Esteemed Colleagues,

Good morning,

I am very happy to be here today with you. We are living through an impossibly difficult time in Lebanon and the region, yet we are here today to mark a very important milestone that underlines the resilience, the aspirations, the culture, the uniqueness of Lebanon. I am also pleased to be again in Tripoli, a city I have had the pleasure of visiting many times and seeing many of my Tripolitan friends. 

I would like to congratulate the government of Lebanon for two important achievements today:

• Tripoli’s nomination as the Arab Capital of Culture for 2024, which highlights its remarkable cultural heritage and vibrant community. 
• The inscription of the Rachid Karami International Fair on the World Heritage List in Danger in 2023 underscoring the global significance of this site and the urgent need for its preservation.

Amid the significant challenges and multifaced crises the country has been enduring since 2019, in addition to the growing hostilities across the southern borders, it is imperative that we do not lose sight of our mutual commitment to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  Goal 11 of the SDGs on “Sustainable Cities and Communities” calls for the protection of the world’s cultural and natural heritage. This aligns with our continued efforts in safeguarding the country’s cultural heritage and the communities connected to it which serves to preserve its history, its identity, and its unity. 

The completion of the Conservation Management Plan for the Karami Fair made possible through UNESCO's expertise and partnership with concerned national entities, is an important achievement. I appreciate everyone's contributions to this initiative and emphasize the importance of using this plan as a guiding framework for future endeavors. And when I say everyone, I also would like to praise the very talented and motivated individuals I have met committed to the preservation and proper utilization of the promise of this extraordinary Oscar Niemeyer vision. You know who you are.   

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Our collective responsibility is to ensure that the universal value of this site is preserved for generations to come. This calls upon all of us to constantly invest in the safeguarding and protection of the Karami Fair. 

Furthermore, we must recognize the transformative potential of heritage preservation in boosting local economies, creating employment opportunities, and fostering socio-economic development for local communities. 

On behalf of the UN Country Team in Lebanon, I reaffirm once again the UN’s unwavering commitment to supporting the preservation of Lebanon’s cultural heritage as a critical element of resilience and unity. 

Thank you.