5 days ago
4 new African sites to be examined at WHC session, push to boost its presence on world heritage map
New Delhi, Since 2018, 15 sites across eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa have earned a UNESCO tag, and four new nominations from African countries will be examined at the ongoing session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris, Director General of the UN organisation, Audrey Azoulay, said. 4 new African sites to be examined at WHC session, push to boost its presence on world heritage map
The spirit of the World Heritage Convention is also to reflect the "diversity and equal dignity of cultures" throughout the world. Yet, 27 States Parties still have no sites inscribed, she said in her address at the opening ceremony of the 47th session of the WHC on Monday.
"As you know, we have developed specific measures since 2021 to support African heritage by assisting States submitting their first nomination. This includes implementing programmes to strengthen expertise among a new generation of African professionals and providing online tools to support them," Azoulay said.
UNESCO is also working with five universities in Cameroon, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania to support higher education in the field of heritage, "and I'm pleased to see these efforts producing results," she added.
A senior official earlier said 32 sites from various countries are set to be examined by the WHC during its current session.
Proposals for the extension of two sites already inscribed on the World Heritage List are scheduled to be taken up for consideration during the session, the official said.
Azoulay, in her address, said in addition to the extension of a site in Africa, the current session will "propose for inscription of four African sites, including the first-ever nominations from two countries".
"Since 2018, fifteen new sites across eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa have joined the World Heritage List, and that is without including the sites that may be inscribed this year," she said.
New nominations from Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Cameroon and Malawi will be examined at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee, UNESCO said in a statement.
"If inscribed, these properties will lift sub-Saharan Africa's tally of World Heritage sites to 112 up from 93 in 2018. This reflects the commitment of the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, to increasing the presence of African sites on the World Heritage List," it said.
Beyond preserving sites, UNESCO also aims to build a wide network of local heritage experts to develop African nominations.
Since 2021, a pioneering mentorship programme launched with partners like the African World Heritage Fund, ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN has trained 60 African heritage professionals. These include 30 women and as many men from 46 countries, it said.
Azoulay also said two other countries, the Comoros and Sao Tome and Principe, have submitted their first nominations for evaluation in 2026.
In recent years, UNESCO has been part of a broader push to strengthen Africa's presence on World Heritage Lists and highlight the continent's rich history, diverse cultures and unique ecosystems, the statement said.
"Heritage weaves an essential bond between people and societies, meaning that in conflict and post-conflict settings, it also becomes a pivotal tool to re-establish a peaceful coexistence and to help restore the social fabric," she underlined.
UNESCO's efforts to protect heritage include actively monitoring damage to cultural sites in Gaza since October 2023, using satellite imagery provided by UNOSAT. And in Ukraine, as strikes continue and with over 500 cultural sites affected since 2022, "we are supporting emergency action, for example in Odesa and in Lviv," she said.
"But in Africa as well, several sites are under constant threat from a combination of factors: conflict, illegal exploitation and environmental stress like in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where we supported the closure of illegal mining sites and helped train 100 eco-guards," Azoulay said.
And in Sudan, UNESCO is taking action to protect World Heritage Sites and museum collections, she said.
In her address, she thanked the Bulgarian authorities, saying, unable to host this session in Bulgaria, they have made every effort to ensure it is held under the best possible conditions in Paris.
"As we open this session, may we be inspired by the words of another great Bulgarian thinker, Julia Kristeva: 'Each of us is unique, and it is in this unique truth that the essence of humanity lies.' Words that truly resonate here, as we come together around the uniqueness of our world heritage the essence of this Convention," the UNESCO DG said.
The 47th session of the WHC is being hosted in the French capital from July 6-16. Its 46th session was held in New Delhi the first time India hosted the crucial meeting.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
