Second phase of Global Priority Africa consultations launched
On 31 January 2022, African experts met to gather insights on best practices for implementing the 1972 Convention in Africa.
In the framework of Global Priority Africa, this initiative aims to propose a long-term vision for implementing the 1972 Convention while focusing on challenges and opportunities identified within the framework of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063: The Africa we want.
In a day full of discussions, the experts conducted an in-depth reflection on Heritage and Development in Africa while emphasising the importance of reconciling Heritage Conservation with Socio-economic Development.
In his opening remarks, Mr Lazare Eloundou Assomo, the Director of World Heritage, highlighted the opportunity of this initiative at a time when Africa is joining UNESCO to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention and therefore looking at the past critically, but with confidence to acknowledge the many success stories.
“UNESCO is here to listen to you, the African experts, and benefit from your wisdom to draw together the lessons and best practices from our rich experiences and identify innovative solutions to implement the 1972 Convention in the region.”
The morning session was moderated by Prof. Ola Uduku from the University of Liverpool (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and included the thought-provoking intervention of the invited key-note speaker, Prof. Shahid Vawda from the University of Cape Town (South Africa), on re-Imaging Africa in Multiple Modern Developing World Systems. His address was followed by presentations of five other prominent panelists. While Ms Edwige Zagré Kaboré (Burkina Faso) highlighted the importance of Heritage for fomenting a culture for global peace, Dr. Themba Wakashe (South Africa) eloquently mapped the opportunities of youth and technology in the conservation and promotion of Heritage in Africa. Dr. Mourad Betrouni (Algeria) focused on “sustainable development” and called for a coherent approach to “cultural development”.
Mr Michael Sudarkasa (Nigeria) recalled the vital role of the Afro-descendant Diaspora across the globe in preserving African Heritage and launched an appeal for rethinking the way we promote it and monetise it. Prof. Imane Bennani (Morocco) presented a practical example of the successful initiatives conducted in Rabat to conciliate development with conservation.
In the second session, the more than 60 experts were distributed among three breakout room sessions: “Conservation, Nomination, and Management: challenges and opportunities”, moderated by Ms Fatma Twahir (Kenya); “Communities and Social Entrepreneurship: a new synergy with cultural Conventions”, moderated by Mr Lassana Cissé (Mali); and “Development and Conservation: how to strike a balance”, moderated by Mr Donatius Kamamba (United Republic of Tanzania).
These fruitful and engaging sessions resulted in a series of significant recommendations covering a wide range of concerns. Among them, Prof.Munjeri highlighted the necessity to assess needs and aspirations of populations living in and around World Heritage sites, to engage more the youth and Diaspora, to enhance synergies between UNESCO’s Culture Conventions, to integrate digital knowledge and innovation into expertise on the conservation, management and promotion, and to enhance linkages with education to consolidate the Heritage sector as a source for employability and poverty alleviation.