Kingdom of Morocco to Support Safeguarding of African Heritage

On 29 November 2022, the Kingdom of Morocco, represented by H.E. Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, and Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, signed a framework agreement for the protection of African heritage, which will contribute to the implementation of activities for fostering cultural heritage safeguarding and capacity building, in the framework of UNESCO’s Global Priority Africa.

The newly formalized patrnership aims at strengthening cooperation between UNESCO and the Kingdom of Morocco by making available Moroccan expertise to other countries in Africa, particularly in the field of World Heritage, the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property, and the promotion of the role of museums in Africa. This will be carried out through the organization of training workshops and technical seminars, and the dispatch of short or long-term missions of Moroccan experts to beneficiary countries, among other activities.

Priority areas outlined in the framework agreement include training in World Heritage inscription processes, the use of best conservation practices for socio-economic development, the management and conservation of sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, capacity building in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property, and the conservation of collections, establishing inventories and promoting the role of museums in Africa. The agreement will remain in force until December 2029 and may be extended by mutual consent.