A workshop on World Heritage and Sustainable Development in Africa: Implementing the 2015 Policy, is being hosted this week at the iconic Robben Island World Heritage site, 19 – 23 August.

Organised by Dr Sophia Labadi, Senior Lecturer in Heritage and Archaeology, the African World Heritage Fund, Cape Town University and Robben Island Museum, the workshop aims to better understand how the principles contained in the 2015 UNESCO Policy on World Heritage and Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been operationalised and localised at and around World Heritage properties in the whole region of Africa.

The 20 presentations of different case studies illustrate the integration of a sustainable development perspective at and around World Heritage sites and different challenges.

The expected results of this workshop include a published e-book with case studies and step-by-step guidelines on how to implement the 2015 policy and related key texts at site level in Africa. Key areas for curricula development by educational institutions on World Heritage and Sustainable Development in Africa will be identified and an Action Plan for the implementation of collaborative projects will be drafted.

Sophia comments: ‘This workshop has revealed the rich, diverse and too often unknown experiences of integrating sustainable development perspectives into the management of World Heritage sites’.