UNESCO–Africa–China Symposium strengthens World Heritage capacity-building in Quanzhou, China

Quanzhou, China, 25 October 2025 — The UNESCO–Africa–China Symposium on World Heritage Capacity-Building and Cooperation concluded in Quanzhou after a week of exchanges and hands-on training from 19 to 25 October 2025. Co-organized by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the Fujian Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage and the Quanzhou Municipal People’s Government, with the support of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, the event aimed to strengthen the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention in Africa and to reaffirm China’s commitment to the Africa Priority, including the sustainable management and preservation of the continent’s rich heritage.

The Symposium brought together close to one hundred participants from UNESCO, African States Parties and China. This included 34 international participants from 26 countries, 24 of them from Africa, alongside 19 Chinese speakers including government officials and experts. Discussions focused on strengthening nomination practice, harnessing digital innovation for heritage governance, and deepening university collaboration, complemented by targeted technical matchmaking and policy dialogue.

© UNESCO / Rouran Zhang

Anchored in the Strategy for World Heritage in Africa, the Symposium provided an opportunity to discuss the Nairobi Outcome on Heritage and Authenticity reflecting on ways to operationalise it, as well as to exchange experience between China and Africa on World heritage nomination, conservation and management and train African heritage professionals on Preliminary Assessment, nomination process and management tools. Participants also undertook a field visit to the World Heritage property “Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China,” observing site management practices, promotion, protection measures, monitoring facilities and resourcing models to inform capacity-building needs across African sites. Representatives of all three Advisory Bodies (ICOMOS, IUCN and ICCROM), as well as HIST and WHITRAP, contributed to the discussions.

The meeting resulted in a Draft Action Plan that proposes a roadmap for cooperation among UNESCO, African States Parties, other state parties, emphasising capacity development, knowledge exchange, awareness rising and networking to improve the quality of African nominations and strengthen the management, conservation and interpretation of sites. The Draft Action Plan calls for broad engagement with Advisory Bodies, UNESCO Category II Centres, UNESCO Chairs, universities, civil society and regional institutions, and invites additional partners to contribute to implementation.

© UNESCO / Rouran Zhang

The World Heritage Centre expresses appreciation to Government of the People’s Republic of China, and the Quanzhou Municipal People’s Government for its hospitality and to all partners for their substantive contributions. Building on this momentum, the World Heritage Centre will coordinate with African Member States and partners to disseminate the Draft Action Plan and to launch follow-up training and mentoring activities, with a view to enhancing the quality and impact of African World Heritage nominations and the sustainable management of listed sites.