91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), organized an 8-day training program on "Capacity Building in Heritage Impact Assessment and Visual Impact Assessment for the Aapravasi Ghat World Heritage Property Buffer Zone." 

Aapravasi Ghat is a World Heritage Site that marks the origin site of worldwide indentured labour diasporic movement in 1834. 

Held in Port Louis, Mauritius from November 13 to 20, 2023, the workshop convened World Heritage Site Managers and representatives from World Heritage Properties in Eastern Africa to empower and equip them to preserve their national World Heritage sites.

The comprehensive training included lectures, presentations, workshops, group discussions, and site visits, and aimed to provide participants with in-depth knowledge of the step-by-step process involved in developing Heritage Impact Assessments.

The Heritage Impact Assessments and Visual Impact Assessments (HIA and VIA) play a pivotal role in enhancing preventive measures for cultural heritage preservation and urban development. To effectively protect our cultural heritage, it is crucial to disseminate knowledge and skills in HIA to a diverse group of stakeholders, including heritage professionals, government officials, developers, and community members. Thus, this HIA training involved the participation of 20 heritage experts from Mauritius and 10 experts from across the Eastern Africa region, encompassing Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. 

This training represents the second phase of a three-phase approach, with the initial phase held Online from 23 to 25 October 2023, establishing a common understanding of World Heritage requirements identifying site values and attributes. In the onsite second phase, participants were engaged in workshops and discussions, laying the groundwork for the final impact assessment report, during which they will serve as peer reviewers.

The opening ceremony on 13 November 2023 was graced by the presence of Mr. Avinash Teeluck, the Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage, alongside high-level representatives from the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund, The Mauritius National Commission for UNESCO, ICOMOS, ICCROM, the World Heritage Centre and the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa. Participation and support also came from the Mauritius National Heritage Fund and the Le Morne Trust Fund.

Since the adoption of the World Heritage Convention in 1972, a critical need emerged for guidance to State Parties on its implementation. Over the years, UNESCO and Advisory Bodies, ICOMOS, ICCROM, and IUCN, have developed a series of World Heritage Resource Materials. In its role as Advisory Body to the World Heritage Committee, ICOMOS has been proactive in developing tools and providing advice to support impact assessment, appropriate decision making and cultural heritage conservation. In his presentation during the official opening ceremony, Mr. Nicolas Clarke, Representative of ICOMOS, highlighted the significance of the "Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context" as the handbook for the course, and that will contribute to the safeguarding of the Outstanding Universal Values of World Heritage properties for humanity.