ARC-WH and ICOMOS Second World Heritage Workshop (French edition): “Renforcer les capacités des professionnels du patrimoine mondial dans la région arabe pour les sites culturels et mixtes”

WH Atelier Rabat 1From 9 to 13 December 2019, the French edition of the workshop “Renforcer les capacités des professionnels du patrimoine mondial dans la région arabe pour les sites culturels et mixtes” was held in Rabat, Morocco [“Strengthening capacities of World Heritage Professionals in the Arab region”] It was organized by the Arab Regional Center for World Heritage (ARC-WH) and ICOMOS in the framework of their Memorandum of Understanding, and in partnership with ICCROM and IUCN.

The event, designed to strengthen capacities of heritage professionals and enhance protection and conservation efforts for World Heritage properties in the Arab Region, welcomed 13 participants from 4 different countries of the Arab States. The five-day training course was divided into two parts. First, a theoretical phase introduced and discussed the basic concepts of World Heritage, the Evaluation process and the State of Conservation, and included a special session on Arabic terminology. Second, an immersive on-site exercise was led at the World Heritage Site of Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage to give the participants the opportunity to produce a mock Technical Evaluation Mission and Reactive Monitoring Mission. Finally, participants also got the chance to present case studies from their respective countries and exchange ideas on best practices.

The workshop successfully attained its goals and contributed for a comprehensive transfer of knowledge with excellent outcomes. As a result, a third edition will be organised in the Autumn of 2020 and held in English.

Photo: © ARC-WH