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In Ukraine, eight activities in the areas of immovable heritage, movable heritage, living heritage and artistic expression were funded. In Odesa, technical and material support was provided to the Odesa Regional Administration for the protection of cultural property. Inventory activities also took place at the Odesa Fine Arts Museum, Museum of Modern Art of Odesa, and the State Archives of Odesa Region. Fifty-four sites across Odesa installed the Blue Shield, an emblem which signifies that a cultural property has a protected status under the law. Seven public monuments were covered by protective measures. Eighty recently-discovered works by the founder of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and prominent Ukrainian modernist artist Mikhail Zhuk were digitized, while over 1,000 electronic inventory cards were created and included in an online database of the Odesa Fine Arts Museum.

UNESCO also implemented activities that support the safeguarding and transmission of Ukrainian intangible cultural heritage. A resource kit in Ukrainian for primary and secondary school teachers is being developed to integrate living heritage of their students in core subjects such as mathematics and literature. The teachers in 15 schools in Ukraine, including 10 UNESCO ASPnet schools, are starting to implement small pilot activities with their pupils, including a first initiative of integrating beekeeping in the learning of biology and chemistry, as well as languages, math, history, and arts.  In addition, UNESCO worked with research teams in five neighbouring countries (Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) to identify the living heritage safeguarding needs among displaced communities. Their testimonies reaffirmed the importance of culture in times of crisis, such as the “Vyshyvanka Day”, a celebration of the traditional Ukrainian embroidered cloths.

In Afghanistan, HEF funded the emergency repairs and installing of protective measures at monuments and sites in the provinces of Kabul, Zabul, and Kandahar against destruction, illegal excavation and illicit trafficking. The activity provided short-term employment opportunities to most impoverished communities through a Cash-for-Work mechanism, and promoted the know-how of traditional construction techniques. In the World Heritage Site of Bamiyan, UNESCO began the assessment of storage facilities, documentation of the archaeological and cultural objects in the storages, and implementation of various preventive measures.  

In Pakistan, immediately after the unprecedented floods that ravaged the country, UNESCO quickly mobilized to safeguard cultural heritage and support local communities. The activities on the ground  contributed to the inclusion of cultural heritage in the country’s (PDNA), paving the way for post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation of culture. In the regions most affected by floods including Balochistan Province, Swat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, and Larkana district in Sindh Province, UNESCO began supporting local stakeholders to conduct detailed damage and needs assessments. Based on the identified needs, HEF will provide replacement assets to local cultural workers and professionals, urgent repairs of the damaged shops and workshops, and technical assistance to re-establish their businesses. In addition, the documentation of damages to the began, in support of the stabilization and reconstruction of this community-based water management system.

Preparedness and response activities in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Africa are a priority for the Fund. Since 2016, nearly 40 SIDS and African countries have benefited from the Fund in safeguarding their heritage against climate crisis, disasters and conflicts.

In Cameroon, the assessments, rehabilitation and capacity building for cultural heritage sites and community museums continued in 2022, benefitting the Northwest, Southwest and Far North regions heavily affected by conflicts. The second phase of the project in Cameroon was launched in October, benefitting the Fondoms of Bafut, Babungo, Mankon, the community museums of Lifafa, and the areas of Yagoua, Mokolo and Goulfey. This activity contributed to the peacebuilding and revival of cultural life among communities severely affected by the conflicts, in particular Bafut and its Palace. The urgent rehabilitation using traditional architectural techniques created new employment opportunities for 143 local workers, including 34 women.