Steering Committee

At the launch meeting of AFRICA 2009 in Abidjan, a Steering Committee was set up to oversee the progress of the programme. The Committee during the final phase (2006-2009) will be made up of 6 African cultural heritage professionals (3 from Anglophone and 3 from Francophone countries) and one member each from the international and regional partner organizations, ICCROM, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, CRATerre-ENSAG, EPA and CHDA (formerly PMDA). The terms of reference for the Committee are:

•  developing criteria for determining appropriate partner organizations and institutions in the region;
•  discussing and evaluating the work that has been carried out on the Projet Cadre and the individual Projets Situés;
•  examining proposals for future Projet Situés;
•  developing themes and contacts for the various seminars, courses, and research held within the project framework as well as approving dates and locations for these activities;
•  for the longer courses, approving the course outline and thematic content as well as selecting the final list of participants;
•  giving direction to the development of the programme and approving yearly action plans;
•  developing future phases of the programme beyond that currently in operation;
•  undertaking fundraising activities on behalf of the programme as necessary and appropriate;
•  publicizing the activities of AFRICA 2009 to a diverse audience both inside and outside the region of sub-Saharan Africa;
•  undertaking any other actions felt necessary for the successful implementation of the programme.

Steering Committee meetings are scheduled to take place on a twice-yearly basis. Committee members are asked to serve for two years. The system ensures continuity by staggering replacement so that two new members are selected each year at the annual Directors Seminar.

Members of the Steering Committee of AFRICA 2009 in December 2008 are:

• Emeline Raharimanana, Chairperson (Madagascar)
• Momodou Joof (The Gambia )
• Hamady Bocoum (Senegal)
• Alfred Lambert Bonezoui (Central African Republic)
• Donald Chikumbi (Zambia)
• Hassan Hussein Idress Ahmed (Sudan)
• Gérard Tognimassou (EPA)
• Mubiana R. Luhila (CHDA)
• Bakonirina Rakotomamonjy (CRATerre-ENSAG)
• Lazare Eloundou (UNESCO- World Heritage Centre)
• Baba Keita (ICCROM)
  

In addition to the selection of members of the Steering Committee, the Directors Seminars have been used by the programme as a forum to report to Directors on the state of implementation of AFRICA 2009 and to give them the opportunity to make recommendations on future activities. Each Directors Seminar has produced a set of recommendations with specific proposals for the future of AFRICA 2009.

The Secretariat of the programme is at ICCROM, which is charged with the day to day management of the programme. Implementation of activities of the Projet Cadre are primarily overseen by ICCROM, while CRATerre-EAG is primarily responsible for implementation of the Projets Situés (in both cases, always in partnership with African institutions). The World Heritage Centre, in addition to participating in the strategic development of the programme, is also involved in the preparation, with States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, of proposals for Projets Situés, fundraising for the Projet Cadre and Projets Situés, increasing awareness of African cultural heritage through publications, and work on the Global Strategy and Periodic Reporting exercises.

Over the course of the next phase, measures will be taken to ensure that regional/national structures are in place to progressively increase management of the programme and its activities from Africa.