MUSCAT, November 13, 2026 (WAFA) – The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) adopted a set of decisions submitted by the State of Palestine to strengthen Arab support for Palestinian education, culture, and science, and ensure the continuity of education in Palestine.
The decisions were adopted during Palestine's participation in the meetings of ALECSO's Executive Board and its 28th General Conference in the Sultanate of Oman.
The Palestinian delegation was headed by Ali Zidan Abu Zuhri, member of the PLO Executive Committee and President of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, alongside the Commission’s Secretary-General Jihad Ramadan and the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Oman, Ahmad al-Ruwaidi.
The resolutions include preparing an urgent Arab plan to support education, launching a multi-year programme to rehabilitate Palestinian educational, scientific, and cultural institutions, supporting higher education and scientific research, and strengthening partnerships and twinning programmes between Palestinian and Arab universities and schools.
ALECSO also approved a feasibility study for establishing an Arab observatory to document and monitor the state of education, culture, and science in Palestine, including documenting damage and violations and developing a specialized database.
The organization further adopted decisions to support Palestinian cultural and media institutions, preserve national memory, protect Palestinian cultural heritage, and strengthen educational and cultural identity in Jerusalem through support for schools, educational resources, annual reporting, and digital documentation of the city's heritage.
ALECSO also approved making Jerusalem a comprehensive Arab priority in its programs and launching an initiative to twin Jerusalem as a Child-Friendly Capital with other Arab cities designated as child-friendly capitals starting in 2027, to highlight the conditions of Palestinian children under occupation, protect their Arab identity, and promote joint educational and cultural programs.
In his address to the meetings, Abu Zuhri stressed that education, culture, and science are essential pillars of Palestinian steadfastness and key tools for protecting national and cultural identity amid war, displacement, destruction, and the systematic targeting of Palestinian institutions.
He said that what is happening in Palestine, particularly in the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, goes beyond a humanitarian emergency and constitutes a direct attack on the right to education, knowledge, and culture.
He called for moving beyond solidarity and statements of support toward practical and sustainable Arab programs to rehabilitate Palestinian institutions, ensure the continuity of education, support universities, researchers, and students, and provide the resources and expertise needed to strengthen their resilience.
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