The UNESCO Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted in Paris on November 16, 1972. By signing the Convention, 187 nations pledged to protect World Heritage Sites and their own national heritage.
Twenty-eight audio books for visually impaired children were released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) office in Beirut and Al-Hadi Foundation for Audio, Visual, and Language and Communication Disorders. The project was part of the Beirut World Book Capital 2009 and consisted of children’s stories registered on CDs and accompanied by sound effects. It is the second of its kind, as last year about 50 similar books were published all over Lebanon.
The representative of UNESCO, Suleiman Suleiman, stressed the importance of book stores in spreading information and added that UNESCO has always been ready to support member states in developing cultural programs. The project was especially important because not only did it provide information to the visually impaired but also helped them get integrated in their society.