Sub-regional (Francophone Africa) seminar for managers of World Heritage and Biosphere Reserves (beginning 1994, Waza Biosphere Reserve, Cameroon)

B. Training

Natural Heritage

School for the Training of Wildlife Specialists, Garoua/Cameroon
The Committee reviewed a request for US$ 43,667 for a training seminar to be held in Cameroon in 1994. The Committee approved a sum of US$ 35,000 pending receipt by the Centre of more detailed information and a justification of the estimated costs. 

Training Course - ENGREF (France)
The Committee reviewed a request for US$ 40,000 and after considerable discussion approved a sum of US$ 30,000 for a training course by ENGREF to be held in the Tai National Park and World Heritage site. The course was endorsed by the State Party (France). The funds are to be dispersed to facilitate the holding of the course in the World Heritage site as well as for travel and fellowships for participants from developing countries, in particular francophone Africa.

The Centre was requested to contact the course director and to continue discussions vis-a-vis the orientation of the course in relation to the World Heritage Convention and to seek possible linkages with this course and the training school in Garoua. The Committee also requested a comprehensive report from ENGREF on the outcome of the course and the content related to protection and management of World Heritage sites.

Cultural Heritage

Reqional training course of Maghreb architects for the conservation and protection of cultural monuments and sites (1994-1995), Tunisia
The Committee approved a request of US$ 50,000 for a regional training course for architects from countries in the Maghreb that will be held in Tunisia in 1994-1995. The course will be implemented by the National Heritage Institute of Tunisia in collaboration with ICCROM and ICOMOS and will train approximately twenty graduates in conservation and management of cultural heritage.

International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)
The Committee approved a request for the amount of US$ 75,000 for fellowships for participants from states Parties (developing countries) for three regular ICCROM courses: architectural conservation, conservation of mural paintings and scientific principles of conservation.

A. NATURAL HERITAGE

A.2  Requests for which the Bureau formulated a recommendation to the Committee

A.2.2 Training

A.2.2.1  School for the Training of Wildlife Specialists (Cameroon)

The Bureau discussed a training request of US$ 43,667 and recommended the approval of US$35,000 pending more detailed information on the programme of the course and justification of the estimated costs.

Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon): The Bureau recommended that the Committee approve US$ 40,000 for the purchase of two vehicles for this site subject to the Cameroon authorities paying their dues to the World Heritage Fund, providing detailed information to the Centre on projects implemented in this site with national funds and provide assurance to the Committee that the maintenance of the vehicles will be supervised directly by the manager of the Dja Reserve.

School for the Training of Wildlife Specialists (Cameroon): The Bureau recommended that the Committee re-examine this request for US$ 43,367 for organizing a sub-regional seminar for protected area managers of Francophone Africa in January-February 1994 in the light of information on the proposed programme on the seminar, and a better justification of the estimated expenses of items to be financed by a contribution from the World Heritage Fund.

Comoe National Park (Côte d'Ivoire): The Bureau approved a sum of US$ 30,000 for the purchase of an all-terrain vehicle, as requested by the Director of the Institute of Tropical Ecology (ITE) in Abidjan, subject to the Director of ITE providing information on the benefits which the UNDP/UNESCO study on the Productivity of Savannahs has brought to the management of this World Heritage site and on the organizational links between the authorities responsible for the management of Comoe and ITE.

The Bureau also requested the Centre to contact the Director of ITE and obtain a written commitment that the vehicle will be used for activities directly linked to the protection of this World Heritage site.

Hal Saflieni (Malta): The Bureau approved a sum of US$ 30,000 as a contribution to the installation of an air-conditioning system at the entrance of this World Heritage property.

The Bureau however, requested the Maltese authorities to take all necessary precautions to minimize as far as possible the negative impacts of the installation on the conservation of this property.

Vallee de Mai (Seychelles): The Bureau deferred taking a decision on this request until the forthcoming session of the Committee and urged the Seychelles authorities to:

(a) pay their dues to the World Heritage Fund;

(b) provide their views on the possibility for expanding this site to include additional forests in adjacent areas, as requested by the Committee at the time of inscription of this property on the World Heritage List

and (c) provide supplementary information on the construction plan for the visitor information centre, particularly the location of the centre vis-a-vis the boundaries of the site and measures for mitigating any impacts of construction on this small (18 ha) World Heritage site.

The Bureau noted that IUCN will attend a meeting of the Seychelles Island  Foundation and discuss this matter in detail.

The Bureau urged IUCN to make a site visit to Vallee de Mai in order to assess the state of conservation of the property, emphasizing the potential for increasing its size and assessing the need for the visitor information centre.