The World Heritage Centre has debuted a travelling exhibition to be displayed at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, before being distributed worldwide in a digital format.

The primary objective of the new exhibition, entitled African World Heritage: a pathway for development, is to raise awareness about the importance of African heritage for sustainable development of local communities across the continent.

The travelling exhibition comprises 50 photo-panels from eight World Heritage sites across Africa. They are intended to illustrate the ways in which heritage conservation contributes to socio-economic and cultural development of Africa through various themes such as protection of the environment and biodiversity, cultural diversity, and mobilisation of young people in heritage safeguarding. The exhibition will be displayed on the railings of the UNESCO building from 12 May to 31 May.

In its efforts to use World Heritage as a driver for sustainable development in Africa, UNESCO is also planning a major international conference on the matter at the end of the month. Taking place between 31 May and 3 June, the sustainability conference taking place at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Arusha, Tanzania, will bring together stakeholders in African heritage to raise awareness on heritage conservation and sustainable development. Discussions taking place will reflect the concern for “planet, people, prosperity and peace”, identified as areas of critical importance in the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development.