Sub-regional preparations underway to move ahead with the Regional Action Plan for Africa 2021-2027

The upcoming Mid-Cycle Review Workshop for World Heritage Focal Points, set to take place from 27-29 February 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa, is a cornerstone event for advancing the assessing the level of implementation of the Regional Action Plan for Africa 2021-2027, after its adoption by the World Heritage Committee in 2021. This workshop provides a unique forum for national focal points from sub-Saharan Africa to share strategies implemented at the national level, and to discuss opportunities and challenges encountered. A survey was launched to assess how the 26 actions within the five Strategic Objectives of the Action Plan have been integrated into national plans, reflecting the Committee's request.

Sub-regional preparations

In preparation for this important workshop, UNESCO therefore organised different sub-regional meetings with national focal points of the sub-Saharan Africa States Parties to detail the mid-cycle survey that will helps to get a regional picture of each action and to what extent they have been appropriated into national and sub-national plans. Regional experts, Advisory Bodies and Mentees Mentorship Programme also attended the meeting, notably at the in-person meeting gather for the national points in Western Africa sub-region.

Central: 8 February 2024

Eastern: 30 January 2024

Western: 12-13 February 2024, Saloum Delta (Senegal)

Southern: 9 February 2024

Strategy for Africa

While fulfilling this mandate, the workshop will at the same time provide an excellent opportunity to discuss how to achieve the harmonization of the above Action Plan and the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa, which is adopted in Decision 45 COM 5C (Riyadh, 2023) as an implementation plan of Flagship Programme 3 of the Operational Strategy for Priority Africa 2022-2029. These two frameworks are vital in supporting the implementation of the 1972 Convention in Africa for lasting impact.

Report to the Committee

The conclusion of the survey and the conclusion of the workshop will be compiled and presented to the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session (New Delhi, 2024).