The National Commission of Eritrea for UNESCO and UNESCO Nairobi office will jointly convene a three day national consultation meeting - from 8 to10 April 2009 in Asmara, Eritrea – in order to discuss issues related to the safeguarding of cultural heritage of Eritrea. The participants include representatives from the line ministries responsible for cultural and natural heritage, universities, religious institutions, the National Museum, Research and Documentation Centre, and Regional and District administrations. Two resource persons from outside Eritrea will also contribute to the meeting. The first half of the meeting will focus on the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, covering its scope and objectives, safeguarding measures and the obligations of the states parties. Since Eritrea is not yet party, the participants will discuss steps towards ratifying this legal instrument. The establishment of a legal framework for the protection of tangible heritage is the subject of the second part of the meeting.

The participants will review the draft framework prepared by a group of Eritrean experts and discuss further steps. Although it ratified the World Heritage Convention in 2001, Eritrea has not yet nominated any sites for inscription on the World Heritage List and its Tentative List so far contains only one site. The meeting will also be an opportunity to discuss the implementation of the 1972 Convention in Eritrea.    

Further information:
National Commission of Eritrea for UNESCO:
E-mail: natcomeri@yahoo.com