Caribbean meet to prepare heritage dossiers

Portal de la Cultura de América Latina y el Caribe

Building Capacities on World Heritage across Caribbean Small Islands

© UNESCO La Habana/ Participantes en el taller Gestión de los recursos culturales del Caribe en un ambiente natural: Sitios de memoria y participación de las comunidades locales

20 March 2013/ UNESCO Havana/Portal of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean The workshop Management of Caribbean cultural resources in a natural environment: Sites of Memory and participation of local communities, trained 20 participants from Barbados, Curaçao, Grenada, Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to foster the best involvement of local communities in World Heritage. Released near the Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, World Heritage site in Barbados from 11 to 15 March 2013, the workshop contributed to enhance mechanisms for the participation of local communities in Heritage sites, implementing also an agreement reached in June 2011 on the Caribbean Capacity Building Programme (CCBP), for World Heritage, between the University of the West Indies and UNESCO. The workshop is part of a series organized by UNESCO Offices in Havana and Kingston and UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, counting with the support of the Netherlands Funds in Trust, and being delivered in coordination with the Barbados National Commission for UNESCO and The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus. Thanks to the contribution of representatives of the States Parties present at the workshop, 5 cases studies, currently in the tentative list and in progress as nominations dossiers were discussed by the participants. As a referential case it was considered the proposal for the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park BJCMNP (Jamaica) promoting a cross cutting debate with the collaboration of experts representing IUCN and ICOMOS. Participants also explored Caribbean connections with the University of the Netherlands Antilles and other heritage related organizations and appraised several examples during a field trip session. From 24 to 28 March, also organized by Havana and Kingston field offices and UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, now under Japan Funds in Trust, another training is to conclude the final segment of the Caribbean Training Course in the Preparation of Nomination Dossiers for World Heritage (started in Kingston last June 2012). The final segment will be developed in St. Mary’s, Antigua & Barbuda analyzing the nomination proposals of 16 Caribbean sites. Specialists from IUCN, ICOMOS and from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre will also participate for the appraisal in situ of the advances in progress for the nomination of The Antigua Naval Dockyard to the World Heritage List. Associated documents: • Concept note for workshop in Barbados • Concept note for workshop in Antigua & Barbuda • Press release for workshop in Antigua & Barbuda For more information about these activities: Himalchuli Gurung, Culture Specialist, UNESCO Kingston h.gurung@unesco.org Victor Marin, CCBP Coordinator, at UNESCO Havana, Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean,v.marin@unesco.org.cu See more on CCBP at: http://www.unesco.lacult.org/proyectos/showitem.php?lg=2&id=27 and also athttp://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/475/