UNESCO workshop “African World Heritage: challenges, opportunities and prospects” held 9-11 Septembe

Following the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee and in view of the 10th anniversary of UNESCO/African Union launching of the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), the World Heritage Centre brought together African heritage experts to reflect on the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Africa region at a two and half day workshop held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 9 to 11 September 2015.
Prior to the opening of the workshop, the Africa Unit of the Word Heritage Centre and the AWHF held a meeting with the World Heritage Advisory Bodies: the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in order to discuss and develop a more strategic approach to offering “upstream” support for nominations from the Africa region. The Permanent Delegation of the Republic of South Africa to UNESCO also organized an evening reception on 8 September at their Embassy in order to announce the plans to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the African World Heritage Fund to members of the Africa Group at UNESCO. The Director of the Heritage Division of UNESCO, Dr. Mechtild R?ssler, gave an intervention at the reception on behalf of the Assistant Director-General for Culture, Dr. Alfredo Pérez de Armi?án, in which she emphasized that the events of the 10th anniversary aim to highlight the importance of UNESCO/AU decision to launch the AWHF and the role the Fund is playing as a UNESCO Category II Centre in assisting African States Parties in the implementation of the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention. She further noted that through our joint activities and programmes, the World Heritage Centre and AWHF have been raising capacities on the continent and creating a new generation of African World Heritage experts. In addition, she informed the Africa Group that UNESCO and the AWHF are planning to organize a regional World Heritage Youth Forum in Africa in 2016. 
The workshop resulted in a draft report, which was presented to the Africa Group of UNESCO on 11 September. It will also contribute to an international conference on “Conservation and Development for World Heritage in the Africa region”, which is being organized by the World Heritage Centre and the African World Heritage Fund for May 2016.