Mid-Cycle Workshop for World Heritage Focal Points in Africa

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment - is organizing a regional Workshop for World Heritage Focal Points on Robben Island UNESCO World Heritage site (Cape Town, South Africa) from 27 to 29 February 2024.

The Workshop will bring together World Heritage Focal Points in the Africa region, as well as representatives of the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee - to assess progress in the implementation of the Regional Action Plan for the Africa region (2021-2027), which was endorsed by the World Heritage Committee at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online) in 2021.

This Workshop presents a valuable opportunity to share knowledge and exchange ideas among heritage professionals. Participants will have the opportunity to present an overview of progress made in the implementation of their respective activities, and delve into detailed discussions on the three strategic objectives of the Action Plan and its outlined actions. The discussions will contribute to highlighting priority areas that will be addressed in the upcoming years. In addition, the Centre will introduce the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa endorsed by the Committee at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023).

The choice of venue for this meeting is no coincidence. Thirty years ago, South Africa was liberated from apartheid. In 1999, Robben Island and its prison buildings were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List to “symbolize the triumph of the human spirit, of freedom and of democracy over oppression”. This occasion in Cape Town is to also celebrate this symbolic moment for Humanity and is a testimony that heritage has the potential to contribute to peacebuilding and, most importantly, to positively impact social and economic transformation.

As the World Heritage Focal Points come together in South Africa, the meeting confirms the collective commitment towards promoting and safeguarding the invaluable cultural and natural heritage in Africa.