Technical assistance to update the national inventory of cultural heritage of Ethiopia

Realizing the richness of Ethiopian cultural heritage, the organization in charge of cultural heritage within the Ministry of Culture, the ARCCH (Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage), requested UNESCO to find an international partner to help Ethiopia plan and implement a national inventory programme. The project consisted of methodological and technical assistance in the development of an inventory of the moveable and immovable cultural properties of Ethiopia.

Two activities were carried out within the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement in 2001 and 2002 in order to ensure basic training of personnel from the Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage in methodologies based on international standards. The first was a technical assistance mission to create a digital inventory database of Ethiopian cultural heritage. The second was a 21 day mission, conducted by an expert in inventory methodologies, to supervise two pilot sites in Axoum and Laibela and lead training courses in the inventorying of immovable heritage.

The results of these missions, in support of creating a national inventory of cultural property and training courses for continued inventorying, were successful.