Strengthening African expertise: From nomination dossiers to conservation skills

With the support of the UNESCO project “Creating a Sustainable Heritage Ecosystem for Socio-economic Development in Africa”, generously funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UNESCO is reinforcing expertise across the continent while empowering communities to engage in heritage-led development.

Training African experts on nomination dossiers

To maximise outreach and impact, the project established a synergy with the UNESCO Mentorship Programme for African Heritage Professionals, a flagship initiative aimed at fostering a new generation of African experts actively involved in the World Heritage Convention.

Through this collaboration, six African heritage professionals were trained in 2024-2025 with direct support from the project. The training covered key aspects of the World Heritage processes, including:

• preparation of nomination dossiers,
• site conservation, and
• community engagement strategies.

The trained experts come from diverse professional backgrounds, such as national heritage institutions, scientific research centres, and protected area agencies. Their contributions now extend across the full World Heritage cycle, from revising Tentative Lists to drafting nomination dossiers,  and they are already serving as facilitators, resource persons, and members of scientific committees. Their engagement has strengthened institutional capacities within their countries and fostered greater regional collaboration and ownership of the World Heritage process.

Training artisans in heritage conservation

In parallel, the project is investing in vocational training for 30 young artisans from Zanzibar (United Republic of Tanzania) and the Comoros in 2025. These artisans are directly involved in conservation works at the Majestic Cinema in Zanzibar and the Ujumbé Royal Palace in Mutsamudu, Comoros.

This initiative not only safeguards two emblematic heritage sites but also promotes knowledge transmission, creates local employment, and strengthens community ownership of cultural heritage. By combining conservation training with hands-on experience, it provides artisans with new livelihood opportunities while ensuring traditional skills are preserved and passed on to the next generation.