His Majesty King Abdullah II met on Tuesday with UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York.
The meeting, attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, focused on ways to strengthen cooperation between Jordan and UNESCO in preserving cultural and natural heritage, particularly as Jordan prepares to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the baptism of Jesus Christ in 2030 at the Baptism Site on the Jordan River.
The King praised UNESCO’s support for Jordan in adding the Aqaba Marine Reserve to the World Heritage List this year, making it the first natural World Heritage site in Jordan. He noted that the designation contributes to protecting biodiversity and addressing the impacts of climate change.
The meeting also addressed ongoing cooperation in the education sector, particularly efforts to develop the education system, vocational and technical education and training, digital transformation, and capacity building.
Discussing the repercussions of regional tensions, King Abdullah highlighted the importance of UNESCO’s role in protecting the heritage and authentic character of Jerusalem amid Israeli escalation, stressing the need to intensify international efforts in this regard.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Director of the Royal Office Alaa Batayneh attended the meeting.
