The closing session of the Safeguarding Endangered Cultural Heritage conference has begun in the presence of UAE leaders and foreign heads of states, prime ministers and dignitaries.

The two-day conference, a joint initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and French President Francois Hollande, is due to conclude later today with the adoption of the Abu Dhabi Declaration in support of the global mandate of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, to protect cultural heritage during armed conflicts.

A number of foreign heads of states, prime ministers and dignitaries attended the session along with H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, President Hollande, Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, and UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

These included H.H. Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Amir of Kuwait; Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi; Afghan President Ashraf Ghani; Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita; Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord of Libya Fayez al-Sarraj; Senegalese Prime Minister Mohammed Abdallah Dionne; Denis Zvizdic, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras; Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn; Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Governor of Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia; Sheikh Nasser bin Isa Al Khalifa, son of the King of Bahrain; Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Representative of the Emir of Qatar; Omani Minister of Foreign Affairs Yousuf bin Alawi; Head of the Moroccan Counsellors' Council Hakim bin Shammas; Prince Aga Khan, head of the Ismailis.

Emirati officials who were in attendance included Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of Federal National Council (FNC); H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; H.H. Sheikh Omar bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation; H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan Chairman of the Board of Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs (ZHO); Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, and Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Member of the Executive Council.