In Quanzhou, China, municipal authorities have established a fund to build the capacity of African countries in the field of UNESCO World Heritage. The initial budget of the China Funds-in-Trust (Quanzhou) for Capacity-Building on World Heritage in Africa is $1 million. As South China Morning Post reports, China News Service announced the creation of the fund in March 2025, while UNESCO said it was launched with this initial budget.
Assistance with nominations
The initiative provides funding, consultations on the nomination procedure, and training for heritage protection specialists. In October, Quanzhou hosted a week-long seminar attended by more than 20 cultural heritage officials from 17 African countries.
Du Xiaohui, director general of the Department of African Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the programme is intended to share China’s experience in heritage protection and strengthen China’s cultural ties with Africa. Qin Changwei, secretary-general of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, said Africa’s geographical representation on the list is insufficient and that some countries on the continent have no inscribed sites.
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Africa’s representation
According to UNESCO, the World Heritage List includes 1,273 sites, of which 115 are located in Africa. To submit a nomination, countries may require years of research, surveys, and planning for the protection of a site. They must substantiate its outstanding universal value, define the boundaries of the site, and describe its long-term protection.
Some potential sites have remained on the tentative list for decades. In particular, Uganda added the Nyero geometric rock paintings in 1997, while Sudan added the historic Red Sea port of Suakin, with coral stone buildings, in 1994. Inclusion on the tentative list means that a state is interested in nominating a site, but does not mean that a completed application has been submitted.
Experts interviewed by the publication believe that funding from China could help African countries with nominations. At the same time, they stressed that stable funding is needed to train specialists, submit applications, and protect sites after their inscription on the list. In their view, such cooperation could also bring China diplomatic benefits.
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Source: ua.news
