The 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has officially adopted the Draft Decision on the Progress Report of the World Heritage Convention and Sustainable Development.
This is in acknowledgment with the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls Declaration on World Heritage and Sustainable Development in Africa which emphasises the need for Africa’s cultural peace building, and the promotion of human dignity.
A Zambian Nature Expert, Kagosi Mwamulowe, proposed amendments to the Draft Decision to reflect the commitments made by Zambia, including efforts to implement sustainable development policy by States Parties and their partners.
The amendments, supported by Member States such as Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, and Zimbabwe, led to the Committee’s formal acknowledgment of the Declaration.
The Declaration was the principal outcome of the Expert Meeting hosted by the Government of the Republic of Zambia in collaboration with the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), held in Livingstone in April 2025.
It further proposes practical strategies such as capacity building through the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and the establishment of a Pan-African task force to mobilise sustainable financing.
It also calls for the integration of heritage into national development plans and highlights the importance of empowering communities as custodians and co-managers of heritage.
The Livingstone meeting launched the operationalisation of Zambia’s commitment made during the Extended 45th Session of the Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to advance the 2015 UNESCO Policy on the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention across the African continent.
Through this commitment, Zambia positioned the Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage Site as a practical case study for balancing heritage preservation with developmental needs specifically within the context of the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Power Scheme.
This is contained in a statement issued to ZANIS, by First Secretary for Press at the Embassy of Zambia in Paris, France, Naomi Mweemba.
