Activities >> Seminars

Recommendations
1st Directors Seminar, Kenya 1999

AFRICA 2009 whose aim is to create better conditions for sustainable conservation processes in Sub-Saharan Africa has organized a Cultural Heritage Directors seminar.

The seminar had the following objectives:

• to present the AFRICA 2009 programme and its links with the activities undertaken by the World Heritage Centre to increase the representivity of African Heritage on the World Heritage List;
• to allow the 22 participants (from 16 countries) of the first Regional Course on Conservation and Management of Immovable Cultural Heritage which took place in Mombasa from 5 July to 3 September,
• to present results of the course;
• to explore issues related to improving communication and networking in Africa for the conservation and better international recognition of the immovable cultural properties of Africa;
• to provide future orientations for AFRICA 2009 and explore the future roles of Directors in the programme.
  

The seminar has been attended by 12 Directors from the following countries, Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

The Directors wish:

• to express their satisfaction with the work carried out by AFRICA 2009 and acknowledge the roles of ICCROM, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and CRATerre-EAG;
• to thank the World Heritage Committee, SIDA, NORAD and the Nordic World Heritage Office for their generous contributions;
• to specially thank the Government of Kenya, the National Museums of Kenya, Fort Jesus Museum, which hosted the course and seminar, and the Director General of the NMK, who is also the Chairperson of the AFRICA 2009 coordination committee;
• to thank the resource persons who have provided a dedicated service to the training course;
• to recognize the dedication of the participants to the course, and the good work which they have carried out.

The Directors wish:

• to endorse the long term vision of the programme, its ethics and aims;
• to appeal to the Donor Community to continue to support AFRICA 2009 through the provision of resources to the programme and to national institutions in charge of cultural heritage.
  

Recommendations for the Programme

Orientations for the Projet Cadre

At the regional level, the projet cadre acts as the overall framework for the programme. This framework offers a range of regional actions in the areas of training and the gathering and exchange of information. A long term objective of the programme is to contribute to the discussions around the creation of cultural policies that successfully integrate conservation practices and development objectives.

Courses

• The importance of the objectives of the first Regional Course on Conservation and Management of Immovable Cultural Heritage is recognized. It is agreed that there is a need for continued courses aimed at the general conservation and management of immovable cultural heritage.
• In addition, it is recommended that short-term technical courses at the regional and/or sub-regional level be integrated into the programme.
• The directors agree to use the expertise gained by course participants for the better care and management of the immovable cultural property in their countries.

Research Projects

• A research project on the prevailing policies for immovable cultural heritage in Africa should be carried out with a view towards understanding current problems and practices and finding solutions to them.
• A series of research projects should be carried out on specific site types (characteristic of specific sub-regions) such as rock art sites, dry stone walls, forts and castles, earth construction, urban settlements, and sacred sites to develop methods for better conservation and management of these sites.

Seminars

The priority topic for the next AFRICA 2009 seminar is Development of Documentation Policies and Standardization of Documentation Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Zambia has shown an interest in hosting this seminar sometime in the year 2000.

Other Activities

In addition to activities already foreseen within AFRICA 2009, the directors recommend that:

• at the request of national institutions, national workshops and short-term courses be organized for the benefit of professionals and technicians. National institutions/ governments will be responsible for raising funds for such activities;
• exchange programmes, internships, and study tours be phased into the overall programme. Procedures will have to be prepared and circulated for comments.

Networking

At the directors level:

• directors seminars should be linked to AFRICA 2009 courses, and opportunities should also be given to network with directors from French speaking countries (in particular at the end of the pilot phase);
• better networking both within countries and between countries should be improved and strengthened;
  directors exchange programmes should be encouraged.

At the professional level:

• the creation of national networks should be encouraged for better cooperation in terms of research, technical cooperation, capacity building, and policy setting. These national networks should be linked in a larger regional network.
• AFRICA 2009 should strive to create linkages to already existing networks in the region.

At the institutional level:

• the utilization of the AFRICA 2009 web site to create links with other web sites and disseminate information about conservation in individual countries in the region. An email discussion list should also be instituted;
• basic equipment and infrastructure such as computers should be provided by institutions (where possible with help from the AFRICA 2009 programme) to access information on the web site and elsewhere;
• a directory of key professionals with specialized knowledge should be created;
• the directors agree that their institutions will work to provide relevant information to the AFRICA 2009 programme for use on the web site and in other forums.
  

Orientations for the Projets Situés

The aim of the projets situés is to improve conditions for conservation at specific sites in the region. Their purpose is to build local capacity and awareness in the course of actual conservation projects. Criteria for selection for projets situés will be prepared and circulated.

• The importance of the projets situés is recognized. It is agreed that there is a need for continued development of these activities;
• The directors encourage national institutions to prepare and present proposals for projets situés;
• Fundraising for projets situés will have to take place on an individual basis.
  

Links between AFRICA 2009 and the Global Strategy

The directors recognize the need to obtain international recognition of African heritage by using the mechanism set-up by the 1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. They recognize the need to ratify the 1972 Convention and collaborate in the implementation of the Global Strategy to increase the representation of African Heritage on the World Heritage List by:

• preparing nomination files to the World Heritage List;
• encouraging the identification of projets situés for the preparation of management and conservation plans for sites identified on national tentative lists and seeking the cooperation of AFRICA 2009 when preparing international assistance requests to the World Heritage Fund;
• organizing meetings to increase awareness of African Immovable Cultural Heritage.

The Directors also recognize the importance of becoming Members States of ICCROM and other international bodies dealing with conservation of cultural heritage.

Conclusion

The 12 Directors and 22 participants at the first Regional Course on Conservation and Management of Immovable Cultural Property and its associated Directors Seminar further reaffirm their full support for the AFRICA 2009 programme and appeal to the international community for support to ensure its sustainability and success.