Kenya Thursday pledged to safeguard its cultural and heritage sites to foster unity and sustainable development in alignment with the goals of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
NAIROBI, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Thursday pledged to safeguard its cultural and heritage sites to foster unity and sustainable development in alignment with the goals of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Julius Ogamba, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Education, said at a UNESCO forum in Nairobi, the country's capital, that protecting the sites is integral to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015.
"Kenya is rich in cultural diversity and heritage. We have eight World Heritage Sites across the country which we must protect to foster unity and understanding between people," Ogamba said.
He further observed that Kenya is working with UNESCO to reform its education system and enhance the use of science and technology, which is crucial in addressing societal challenges, including climate change.
Peter Ngure, permanent representative of Kenya to UNESCO, said Kenya is collaborating with the UN agency on various programs including leveraging artificial intelligence to improve public service delivery.
In July, UNESCO added Kenya's historic town of Gedi in the coastal region to the World Heritage List, increasing the number of World Heritage Sites in Kenya to eight.■