Seminar on raising awareness on Global Strategy in the South West islands of the Indian Ocean and Madagascar

In 1994, the World Heritage Committee launched the Global Strategy for a representative, balanced and credible World Heritage List. Crucial to the Global Strategy are efforts to encourage the nomination of properties from categories and regions that are underrepresented on the World Heritage List. Thus, at the initiative of the Malagasy National Commission for UNESCO, and the Malagasy Ministry of Culture and Heritage, with support from the World Heritage Centre and the support of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement, a seminar was organised from 2- 5 October 2001, in Antananarivo (Madagascar), to raise awareness of the Global Strategy for the south-west islands of the Indian Ocean. The seminar enabled preparation of an inventory of attributes for the natural and cultural heritage in this region situated in the Indian Ocean.

It has also been the framework for work on the establishment of Tentative Lists, indispensable for nomination proposals. Sites were identified for nomination, some of which regroup several islands. The representatives for the different islands expressed the need for cooperation in the field of preparatory assistance for inscription on the World Heritage List, and the need for capacity building and awareness raising activities for local stakeholders. The Regional Direction of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) of La Reunion (France) should play a bigger role in the development of cooperation in the field of heritage among the various islands.