Culture minister calls for better African representation on World Heritage List.

The forum, with over fifty young African world heritage professionals in attendance, is aimed at raising global awareness of African heritage, with a focus on young people, and to mobilise enhanced cooperation for its safeguarding at local, regional and global levels.

The international forum has been placed under the theme: “Actions and innovations for a world heritage at the service of communities in Central Africa”.

In his inaugural speech, the Minister of Arts and Culture decried the under-representation of the African continent on the List of World Heritage despite its rich potentials.

“While Africa is under-represented on the World Heritage List, African properties represent about 12% of all sites inscribed in the world, a disproportionate percentage of these properties are on the List of World Heritage in Danger,” he said.

He further mentioned that many of Africa's wonders are at risk of losing their outstanding universal value as they are faced with a variety of contemporary threats like climate change, uncontrolled development, poaching, civil unrest and instability.

“It is therefore more urgent than ever that this irreplaceable heritage is protected and preserved for the benefit of future generations,” the minister added.

He asserted that Central Africa is determined to lead international efforts to harness the vast potential of cultural and natural heritage as a force for poverty reduction and social cohesion, and as a driver of sustainable development and innovation.

He reiterated that Africa, being the cradle of humanity, possesses numerous heritage properties that bear witness to its history, natural wealth, civilisations, folklore and ways of life. It however, faces particularly complex economic, societal and political conditions.

“The States Parties to the 1972 Convention have therefore undertaken to ensure the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage listed on their territories. These States Parties have undertaken to adopt a number of measures to ensure the effective protection and conservation as well as the active presentation of this heritage,” Minister Bidoung Mkpatt echoed.

Participants to develop strategies for heritage, conservation

The minister also urged participants to develop strategies for the promotion and conservation of culture and heritage during their weeklong deliberation.

“During this meeting, capitalise on the strategies and experiences of successful heritage management in Africa and throughout the world, by means of the contributions of foreign experts whose presence at these meetings we welcome,” the minister stated, before adding that “at the end of your work, it will be a question of formulating recommendations likely to improve the relevance and effectiveness of our actions in the fields of protection, conservation and enhancement of cultural and natural heritage”.

He further mentioned that: “The quality of the speakers and the different themes that will be developed augur well for the success of this work, which I hope will be enriching for all participants”.

Expresses gov’t’s joy in hosting the UNESCO programme

Minister Bidoung Mkpatt also used the opportunity to express the gratitude of the Head of State, President Paul Biya, to UNESCO, for choosing Cameroon to host the important event on behalf of Africa.

“We also thank all the partner institutions and specialised structures that have accompanied the Ministry of Arts and Culture in the preparation of this important event in Cameroon,” he added.

The Young Heritage Professionals Forum in Mvomeka'a, to run till October 15, is part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

The International Forum for Young African World Heritage Professionals will be followed by a Heritage Experts Forum, to be organised in Yaounde from October 17 to 18; a conference of ministers of culture, forests, environment and ecology of Central Africa; and an exhibition of photos of the different World Heritage sites in Central Africa at the National Museum in Yaounde.