The UNESCO Japan Funds-in-Trust (Japan-FIT) project “Support for Documentation Standards and Procedures of the Silk Roads World Heritage Serial and Transnational Nomination in Central Asia (Phase I)” (Feb 2011 – June 2014) made enormous progress in establishing standards of documentation and research necessary in finalizing the first two nominations of Silk Roads corridors examined at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee from 15-25 June 2014 in Doha, Qatar.
This UNESCO Japan-FIT Central Asian Silk Roads Phase II project aims to further enhance the capacities of the national authorities of the Central Asian Republics for the protection of cultural heritage, training them in further documentation and archaeological research, conservation and management planning to ensure the sustainable management of the Silk Roads corridors. Through 5 national annual workshops and 3 sub-regional workshops as well as an international coordination committee meeting (Fourth Meeting of the Coordinating Committee in Almaty, Kazakhstan, November, 2015), the project also aims to promote sustainable regional dialogue, cooperation and development amongst the Central Asian Republics—through the Silk Roads, an ongoing platform for cultural dialogue and exchange—also fostering international North-South-South partnerships for heritage conservation and sustainable development.
During the Fourth Meeting of the Coordinating Committee on the World Heritage Serial Nomination of the Silk Roads, which took place from the 24th to the 25th November 2015 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, UNESCO representatives and five Directors from the Monuments Department of the five Central Asian countries' Culture Ministry together with participants and members of the Silk Roads World Heritage Coordination Committee as well as international resources persons, officially launched the UNESCO/Japan-FIT project “Support for the Silk Roads World Heritage Sites in Central Asia” (Phase II, April 2015- April 2018).
Lead organization/sector
World Heritage Centre and UNESCO Field Offices in Central Asia
Donor country
Government of Japan
Total project cost
697,796 US$ (including 13% UNESCO programme support costs)
Associated Organization(s)
Contact Person
Roland Lin, WHC
States Parties
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan