Call for application for the Strengthening Capacities of World Heritage Professionals in the Arab Region for Cultural and Mixed sites

The Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) and ICOMOS International in collaboration with ICCROM and IUCN, are organizing a Capacity Building programme for World Heritage Professionals in the Arab Region. This programme aims to build a strong network of experts from the Arab Region that will assist the Arab States, the Advisory Bodies, and all World Heritage stakeholders in the effective implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

The Strengthening Capacities of World Heritage Professionals in the Arab Region for Cultural and Mixed sites Pilot workshop, in English, will be held from 9 to 13 December 2018 in the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) located in Bahrain.

Please note that a workshop in French is under consideration and will be implemented in 2019.

The workshop will approach the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the different types of heritage existing in the Arab Region and will take into account regional specificities. The workshop will also explore the concepts and tools in use under this Convention. It will provide an opportunity to learn how the Advisory Bodies are working on State of Conservation reports and evaluation of nominations.

Background

The Arab Region as designated by the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) includes nineteen State Parties where the official language is Arabic, which are scattered throughout North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. This huge region is home to 84 properties belonging to the Heritage of Humanity and which are inscribed on the World Heritage List. Although this number does not reflect the richness and diversity of cultural and natural sites of potential Outstanding Universal Value located in this area, it provides some scope of its legacy for current and future generations of humanity. 

These sites are protected by their status as World Heritage Sites under all requirements and mechanisms of the 1972 Convention, which implies insuring a high level of national protection and involving the efforts of the international community if need to be. 

The global challenges facing World Heritage Sites in general and more specifically in the region, from climate change to uncontrolled development and tourism, dictate that more specialized expertise in certain aspects related to World Heritage is required today and in the future. The Arab States Region, like all other regions of the world, will need to enhance and promote the development of such expertise in order to better identify, protect, and manage cultural and or natural World Heritage sites.

Accordingly, as part of its new strategy to invest in human resources for the protection of World Heritage Sites in the region, the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) and ICOMOS International will organize and implement, in collaboration with ICCROM and IUCN, a Capacity Building programme for World Heritage Professionals in the Arab Region. This programme aims to build a strong network of experts from the Arab Region that will assist the Arab States, the Advisory Bodies, and all World Heritage stakeholders in the effective implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

Given the interest in linking the training for both Culture and Nature heritage professionals, attendees from both professional groups will share the same training platform and experiences of experts in each category.

Overall goal and objectives

The course will approach the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the different types of heritage existing in the Arab Region and will take into account regional specificities. The course will explore the concepts and tools in use under this Convention. It will provide an opportunity to learn how the Advisory Bodies are working on State of Conservation reports and evaluation of nominations.

• Strengthen capacities of heritage professionals in the Arab Region and provide them, as much as possible, with the knowledge and expertise required in the field of World Heritage;
• Enhance the protection and conservation of World Heritage properties and sites of potential Outstanding Universal Value in the Arab Region;
• Build a network of heritage professionals in the field of World Heritage with whom stakeholders can easily work in the Arab Region and beyond;
• Increase the participation of regional professionals in evaluation, advisory, or monitoring tasks for the WH Committee (evaluation or monitoring missions, desk reviews, etc.).
• Create a shared platform of training and knowledge exchanges between cultural and natural heritage professionals and promote synergies between the two categories.  

Structure

The methodological approach of the workshop contains the following elements: 

Interactive lectures

Lectures by resource-persons regarding the main concepts and mechanisms of the World Heritage Convention,

Practical exercise

Hands-on activities that will allow participants to exchange ideas and experience, and learn within working groups through practical information and knowledge related to World Heritage Sites state of conservation and case studies presentations by the participants;

Study Tours

Guided tour and field work during the visit the World Heritage Site of Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun, as part of the training programme, to improve the understanding of protection and management of World Heritage Sites;

Working language 

The working language course is English. There will be a session dedicated to the terminology and official ‘technical language’ of the World Heritage Convention and the Operational Guidelines in Arabic. However, all the lectures, as well as the interactions with resource persons, will be in English. 

Please note that a workshop in French is under consideration and will be implemented in 2019.

Selection Criteria of participants

12 to 15 participants from the Arab Region will be selected for the training, matching the following criteria:  Have at least 5 years of experience working in the field of Cultural and/or Natural Heritage;

• Be fluent in English (oral and writing) and Arabic;
• A minimum knowledge of the World Heritage Convention and the Operational Guidelines is required;
• Be motivated, active, and driven, and be interested in engaging in the field of World Heritage through assisting the Arab States and the Advisory Bodies in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention;
• Only experts from the 19 countries of the Arab Region that have ratified the World Heritage Convention will be accepted;
• Only one applicant per country will be selected. 

Participation cost 

The cost of the participant is covered by the ARC-WH | Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage. This will include:

• Roundtrip travel ticket to Bahrain
• Accommodation
• Meals
• Local transportation

Monitoring and Evaluation 

The workshop will be subject to an anonymous evaluation process undertaken at the conclusion of the programme. This will incorporate a self-assessment before/after questionnaire, outlining changes in knowledge through the workshop, as well as a feedback questionnaire, evaluating the pre-delivery content, the programme content, and objectives of the workshop itself.

A selected number of participants will be entitled for follow-up and monitoring activities.

Case study 

Each participant is required to submit a one page (maximum) Case Study describing a heritage site with which they have experience as a part of the application form

This experience will be presented during the course and will provide the group with updated data on World Heritage Sites from the Arab Region. It will also give participants a chance to become better acquainted with World Heritage in the region.

The Case Study must contain, at a minimum, the following sections, under the same headings:

• Description of the site (World Heritage context)
• Protection, conservation and management of the property
• Challenges facing the property 

Registration procedure

All applicants are kindly requested to complete the application form and e-mail it no later than 31 August 2018 to the following e-mail addresses:

Mr. Mohamed Ziane Bouziane: m.ziane-bouziane@arcwh.org

Mrs. Selma Kassem: s.kassem@arcwh.org

For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL"  below.

This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1856