The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations Office in Geneva organized a side event in the Palais des Nations building today, Thursday, entitled "Digital Cultural Heritage: Opportunities and Challenges in Light of Cultural Rights", on the sidelines of the 57th session of the Human Rights Council held in Geneva from September 9 to October 11, 2024, in cooperation with the Cyprus Representation in Geneva and the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki, and the ALIPH Foundation. A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Ambassador Abdul Karim Hashim Mustafa, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations Office in Geneva, delivered a speech in which he stressed the importance of the topic of the event for Iraq as the cradle of human civilizations, referring to the digital documentation project for World Heritage cities in Iraq in cooperation with UNESCO, which is the first project of its kind in Iraq's archaeological history. He also stressed the Iraqi government's aspiration for the support of the international community in its candidacy for membership in the World Heritage Committee for the period 2025-2029, to contribute positively in this field, in addition to requesting support for Iraq in recovering its looted antiquities. The event was attended by the Special Rapporteur for Cultural Rights Alexandra Xanthaki, Bastian Varotiskos, Director of the Strategy Department at ALIPH, representatives of UNESCO in the digital cultural heritage file, and a number of countries. The participants addressed in their interventions the importance of digital cultural heritage and its necessity for future generations to learn about the heritage and culture of peoples, as it is a fundamental principle of human cultural rights. Source: National Iraqi News Agency