UNESCO renews call for enhanced protection of Africa's heritage sites

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has renewed its call for enhanced protection and recognition of Africa's heritage sites, given their contribution to cultural pride and tourism.

Louise Haxthausen, UNESCO regional director for Eastern Africa, on Tuesday told an international conference on cultural heritage in Africa, taking place in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that the continent is a repository of world-famous archeological sites and priceless artifacts that should be preserved for future generations.

Haxthausen said that a sound policy and legal framework is required to boost the protection of Africa's heritage sites amid threats posed by climate change and human activities.

A more inclusive approach involving policymakers, local communities and multilateral partners is required to enrich discourse related to the conservation of heritage sites on the continent, Haxthausen said, noting that the Africa Union Agenda 2063 champions for safeguarding the health of historic sites and monuments in the continent, given their intrinsic value to indigenous communities.

According to UNESCO, Africa accounts for 12.26 percent of World Heritage Sites globally, but the sites' future is uncertain given the threat of rapid urbanization, weak protection laws and climatic stresses.

Attendees at the May 6-9 conference, convened by UNESCO, the Kenyan government, and the African World Heritage Fund, include senior policymakers, scholars and cultural enthusiasts.

They will explore policy, scientific and community-driven interventions that could boost the resilience of Africa's heritage sites.

Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage Hanna Wendot Cheptumo called for sharing of best practices, technology transfer and policy harmonization to strengthen the protection of historical sites on the continent.

Empowering local communities to become custodians of heritage sites will avert erosion of Africa's rich and diverse cultures, while generating revenues through tourism, Cheptumo said.