Decision 46 COM 5C

Progress report on the implementation of the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/5C,
2. Recalling Decisions 44 COM 5C, 44 COM 10A, 44 COM 10B and 45 COM 5C adopted at its extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) and extended 45th (Riyadh, 2023) sessions,
3. Notes with appreciation the continued efforts of the Member States to support effective and sustainable conservation and management of the unique biodiversity and rich cultural heritage of Africa that must be transmitted to future generations, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063;
4. Expresses its appreciation for the activities undertaken by UNESCO, the Advisory Bodies, the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) and other committed partners in implementing the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa;
5. Strongly encourages African States Parties to appropriate the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa into their national, subregional and regional heritage strategies, and requests the World Heritage Centre, in collaboration with the Advisory Bodies, AWHF and ARC-WH, and with the support of all partners, to support African States Parties in its implementation;
6. Thanks the governments of Australia, China, Flanders (Kingdom of Belgium), France, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Norway, and the Sultanate of Oman for their financial support to implement activities that contribute to meeting the targets of the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa and encourages other States Parties to contribute financially to its implementation;
7. Also thanks the governments of Kenya and South Africa for respectively hosting the Tentative Listing Workshop for Somalia and the Mid-Cycle Review Workshop of the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting for Africa;
8. Calls upon the entire international community, including the Group of Friends for Priority Africa as well as regional partners and economic communities in Africa to provide support to African States Parties and the African World Heritage Fund in the implementation of the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa and of Flagship Programme 3 of the Operational Strategy for Priority Africa 2022-2029 and to attain its targets, notably:
   1. to assist 11 African States Parties not yet represented on the World Heritage List in developing a nomination at their request,
   2. to provide support to the States Parties with properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger to implement their costed action plans and to achieve a Desired state of conservation for their removal from this List (DSOCR),
   3. to increasingly engage African heritage experts to enhance their role and involvement in World Heritage processes in Africa as well as in other regions,
   4. to support the pan-African network of site managers to foster a strong link between management authorities and communities for sustainable conservation, effective management and entrepreneurship,
   5. to develop projects focused on entrepreneurship and the adoption of new and innovative technologies;
9. Requests the World Heritage Centre, in partnership with the African World Heritage Fund, to monitor the implementation of the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa and prepare a progress report towards this end, in line with the Medium-Term Strategy 2022-2029 and Programme and Budget for 2022-2025, for examination by the Committee at its 47th session.