Azerbaijan leads call for urgent preservation of African heritage at UNESCO event

Azerbaijan's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO and Ambassador to Ethiopia, Elman Abdullayev, has emphasized the need for urgent measures to safeguard Africa’s cultural heritage.

His remarks were made at the event on “Supporting World Heritage in Africa” held at UNESCO headquarters, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Abdullayev highlighted the disproportionate representation of Africa’s cultural heritage on the UNESCO World Heritage List, noting that the continent accounts for only 12.2 per cent of the listed cultural monuments.

Furthermore, he pointed out a worrying statistic, stating that 32 per cent of the monuments on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger are located in Africa.

“These statistics call for immediate action to preserve and promote African heritage. It is essential to not only increase financial and technical support to partners working on heritage conservation in Africa but also to enhance the visibility and inclusion of African sites on the World Heritage List,” Abdullayev stated.

His call underscores the urgency of addressing the challenges facing the preservation of Africa’s cultural monuments, which are increasingly under threat due to factors such as conflict, climate change, and inadequate resources for conservation efforts. Abdullayev's remarks reflect Azerbaijan’s continued commitment to global heritage preservation and the recognition of the importance of African cultural sites in the global cultural landscape.

By Vafa Guliyeva