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Fresh Insights discussed for New Strategy for African World Heritage
The World Heritage Centre together with the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, hosted a round table on “Good Practices, Conservation Challenges for Heritage in Africa” on 21 February 2022, in the framework of UNESCO Global Priority Africa flagship Programme on fostering cultural heritage and capacity development.
This convening was part of a larger consultation with Africa Member States, field offices, and relevant stakeholders in Africa, to gather insights and contributions the drafting of a new strategy for African World Heritage, steered by a working group chaired by Prof. Munjeri, and that will propose a long-term vision for the implementation of the 1972 Convention in Africa over the coming decades, and forge a new approach to heritage as a driver for development.
The round table, which was attended by over 40 participants including experts, civil society organization representatives, world heritage site managers and other stakeholders, mapped priorities for Anglophone Africa and gathered insights from local and regional stakeholders. A panel discussion on lessons learned with African institutions including The National Museums of Kenya; Department of Forest, Fisheries and Environment in South Africa; and Ministry of Tourism and Culture in The Gambia, spurred the open discussion that followed.
Participants highlighted the need to creatively engage local communities to contribute to the protection and preservation of their culture. In particular, modalities for the inclusion of women, civil society and youth were discussed. Noting that Africa heritage is under pressure due to the infrastructural development rapidly changing the face of the continent, the need to develop a world heritage strategy that favors both development and conservation of the African Heritage was also highlighted.
The rich discussion and exchange yielded many innovative, creative and practical ideas of enriching the implementation of the World Heritage Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, at a time UNESCO is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, under the theme: “The Next 50: World Heritage as a source of resilience, humanity and innovation.”
