African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) offers grants to African ICOMOS heritage professionals – World Heritage Panel and Technical Evaluation Missions

ICOMOS, in partnership with the African World Heritage Fund, is currently developing a Capacity Building programme whose aim is to enhance the professional expertise of African heritage professionals to be involved in World Heritage processes.

Technical Evaluation Missions

Last year in May 2022, the AWHF and the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) of South Africa, in partnership with ICOMOS, IUCN and the World Heritage Centre hosted a workshop in Maloti Drakensberg Park, South Africa. This workshop was part of the AWHF’s Upstream Support Initiative aimed at broadening the network of African heritage professionals capable of contributing towards the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention in Africa. Its aim was to improve the understanding of African professionals regarding World Heritage processes, including the evaluation of nomination and monitoring of state of conservation of World Heritage properties in Africa.

Following the Maloti Drakensberg workshop, participants were requested to submit a reactive monitoring or technical evaluation mission report. They were also invited to provide a desk review for the 2023-2024 Evaluation Cycle.

As follow-up to this activity, the States Parties of Kenya, South Africa and Saudi Arabia have generously agreed to host grant holders as observers on technical evaluation missions, which is a unique opportunity for the former Capacity Building workshop participants to see their knowledge and skills applied – which they acquired during their training in South Africa.

The AWHF covered all expenses related to the grant holders’ international travel and accommodation during the field missions in August-September 2023.

ICOMOS World Heritage Panel / 2023-2024

The ICOMOS World Heritage Panel conducts a rigorous evaluation of all nominations of cultural and mixed properties to the World Heritage List, leading to a panel recommendation on the ICOMOS position in relation to each new nomination, in line with the requirements established in the Operational Guidelines of the World Heritage Convention.

To ensure a balanced regional representation in accordance with the standards of the ICOMOS evaluation procedure, the AWHF also funded the participation of 4 ICOMOS African experts, who were able to take part in the ICOMOS World Heritage Panel meetings and exchanges.

The AWHF covered all expenses related to their attendance.