41 ous for our sons and daughters. Sharjah has always been focused on the need to cooperate with regional and international institutions and organisations, and with UNESCO in particular for the successful track record that this organisation has. An agreement has already been initialled with UNESCO’s Director-General to establish the Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture, which will be awarded to those who have achieved the most in familiarising the world with Arab and Islamic civilisation. This is consistent with the general orientation adopted by UNESCO, which has our support as it seeks to further intercultural dialogue, encourage interaction among nations, and promote the spirit of tolerance and fraternity among peoples of the world, all with the overall objective of safeguarding human civilisation on this earth that is home to us all. I was delighted to see UNESCO invited to the multipurpose exhibition organised in Sharjah to familiarise the world with the history, present situation and achievements of Sharjah in a diverse range of endeavours in the fields of art, culture and architecture. This exhibition has highlighted the strong links and relations that bind Arab-Islamic civilisation with other civilisations. It has also contributed to the joint effort to promote proximity, mutual understanding and dialogue among peoples of the world, to denounce all manifestations of arrogance, fanaticism and aggression, and to approach the new millennium in a spirit of fraternity, cooperation and peace.
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