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Ghana Secures $3.5 Million UNESCO Heritage Support During Tourism Minister’s South Korea Visit
Ghana has secured a major international commitment to strengthen the preservation of its cultural heritage after the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, successfully led the country’s delegation to the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The high-level mission resulted in significant financial, technical and capacity-building support aimed at improving the conservation, management and sustainable development of Ghana’s World Heritage properties, particularly the country’s historic Forts and Castles.
During the session, the Ghanaian delegation actively participated in deliberations of the World Heritage Committee while holding strategic bilateral meetings with key international heritage institutions. These included the Africa World Heritage Fund (AWHF), the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHIPIC), the Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO, and the Executive Director of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.
The discussions focused on enhancing Ghana’s heritage management systems, strengthening technical expertise and mobilising international resources to address the conservation challenges facing the country’s World Heritage sites.
One of the major outcomes of the visit was a commitment by the Africa World Heritage Fund to support the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) through specialised human resource development and capacity-building programmes. The initiative is expected to strengthen professional expertise in heritage conservation and improve the long-term management of Ghana’s heritage assets.
In addition, WHIPIC pledged technical assistance by providing specialised training for officers of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board in heritage site interpretation and visitor experience management. The programme is expected to improve the presentation of Ghana’s historical sites to both local and international visitors, enhancing tourism and public appreciation of the country’s cultural heritage.
A major highlight of the visit was a US$3.5 million pledge by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO to support restoration works at six selected Forts and Castles in Ghana. The funding will complement the Government of Ghana’s ongoing efforts to implement UNESCO’s conservation recommendations and preserve some of the country’s most important historical monuments for future generations.
While in South Korea, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, accompanied by Ghana’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, H.E. Kojo Choi, and members of the Ghanaian delegation, also attended the graduation ceremony of six Ghanaian officials who completed a specialised heritage capacity-building programme organised by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO in Seoul.
The beneficiaries were drawn from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO, the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They received intensive training on managing the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage sites, equipping them with the technical knowledge and skills required to strengthen the resilience of Ghana’s World Heritage properties against climate-related threats.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Hon. Gomashie congratulated the participants for completing the programme and expressed Ghana’s appreciation to the Korean National Commission for UNESCO for its continued investment in building the country’s heritage management capacity.
She further expressed Ghana’s gratitude to the Government and people of the Republic of Korea, UNESCO, the Africa World Heritage Fund and WHIPIC for their continued partnership and confidence in Ghana’s commitment to protecting its cultural heritage.
The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment, under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, to safeguard and promote Ghana’s cultural heritage as a key driver of tourism development, education, employment creation and sustainable national development.
The Ghanaian delegation comprised Mrs Meredith Naakai Lamptey Addy, Ghana’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO; Prof. Usman Damba, Secretary-General of the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO; Mr Kwesi Essel Blankson, Acting Executive Director of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board; and Mr Divine Kwame Owusu-Ansah, Director for Culture and Creative Arts at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts.
The successful mission is expected to significantly strengthen Ghana’s heritage conservation efforts while enhancing the country’s tourism potential through improved preservation and management of its internationally recognised cultural sites.