Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (Arc-WH) – Bahrain
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Ar A b r egion A l Centre for World Herit l Centre for World A ge (A r C-WH) – C-WH) bAH r A in Annu A l r eport 2017 ArAb regionAl Centre for World HeritAge (ArC-WH) – bAHrAin AnnuAl report 2017 ArAb regionAl Centre for World HeritAge (ArC-WH) – bAHrAin AnnuAl report 2017 3 tAble of ContentS Message froM forWard froM PrefaCe the President the direCtor arC-Wh teaM 05 07 09 BaCkgroUnd oBJeCtives oUr PROGRAMMes 10 12 13 the 5 ‘C’s CUltUre and natUre CoMMUnity PrograMMes: engageMent CaPaCity BUilding and and oUtreaCh training 14 16 26 stories froM inforMation and external soCotra doCUMentation relations 30 34 36 highlights of World heritage tUrning the tides: 2017 list Activities and evalUation and involveMent reneWal strategiC Plan 42 46 develoPMent 60 ePILOGUe STATISTICs and oUr Main Partners figUres 63 64 65 ARC-WH ANNUAL REPORT 2017 5 “ArC-WH witnessed many milestones and accomplishments preSident’S in 2017 as it continued to carry out its core missions as SHeikHA MAi per its mandate under the 2010 agreement signed by the foreWord bint MoHAMMed Al-kHAlifA government of bahrain and uneSCo.” It is with great pleasure to begin the ARC-WH invited professionals and At the end of 2017, the Kingdom of 2017 Annual Report for ARC-WH by technical heritage experts in the field of Bahrain continued to show its support expressing my sincerest gratitude and conservation to attend and participate to ARC-WH’s work, particularly appreciation to the Government of in capacity building workshops, panel following Bahrain’s re-election as Bahrain for its decisions to host the discussions and meetings. member of the World Heritage Centre for the next upcoming six years. Committee, and in light of the fact These specialized workshops and I would also like to take this opportunity that Bahrain will be chairing the 42nd seminars enhanced the knowledge and to thank UNESCO for renewing its World Heritage Committee in 2018. skillsets of participants and provided confidence in ARC-WH and enabling them with the necessary tools needed We look forward to more successes and the Centre to continue its efforts and to effectively implement and apply achievements in the coming years. position in the Arab region as facilitator the provisions and policies of the 1972 of the 1972 World Heritage Convention. Convention, with the participation ARC-WH witnessed many milestones of the Centre’s key partners from and accomplishments in 2017 as it UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and continued to carry out its core missions Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa UNESCO’s Advisory Bodies, ICOMOS, as per its mandate under the 2010 ICCROM and IUCN. Chairperson of the Governing Board agreement signed by the Government of of the Arab Regional Centre Bahrain and UNESCO With the turning point of ARC-WH, the for World Heritage Centre embarked upon developing its Over the past year, the Centre communication and media channels, intensified and strengthened its efforts documentation and information in earnest to provide Arab States dissemination, and preparation of Parties and regional and international studies and research to support stakeholders with the utmost technical its technical activities to increase and financial support in order to the awareness of heritage and its preserve the unique natural and importance in the region. cultural sites inscribed on the World Heritage List. To respond to the many challenges and changes faced by Arab region, Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun © Editions Gelbart ARC-WH ANNUAL REPORT 2017 7 “by the end of the year 2017; ArC-WH was already looking forward forward to building on its previous accomplishments and dr. SHAdiA touqAn achievements and embarked on the preparation of its new froM Action plan for 2018.” tHe direCtor It is my pleasure to report on the ARC-WH Team started the year in Development strategy to further the year 2017, a year of major challenges, earnest aiming to develop the existing Centre’s financial resources. high expectations and significant library into an Information Hub, providing With the ongoing devastating achievements for ARC-WH. updated information and digital reading consequences of the military and materials and data about World Heritage As I started my first year working at political conflicts in the region, as sites in the region and providing links the Centre with an outstanding team well as natural disasters, ARC-WH to other international digital libraries who are extremely qualified and highly pursued activities and projects in in cooperation with our partners and trained professionals, dedicated to various areas by developing a dynamic associates in the field, thereby offering the protection of heritage in the Arab approach based on the priorities professionals, scholars, researchers and Region, threats and disasters continued within the possible accessibility which students in the field of cultural and to ravish many Arab cities and sites varied in complexity in each area, and natural heritage, valuable and reliable causing, in many cases, irreparable allowed for more inclusion despite the sources of information. damage to sites that have been restrictions. Moreover, the Team, with its inscribed on the World Heritage List. While the Team’s workload increased accumulated experience and knowledge and the Centre’s interventions of the regions needs and priorities, Furthermore, due to the prevailing expanded, the structural organization identified gaps and shortages in the conditions in the region, many of and administrative and management methods and mechanisms available in these threatened sites continue systems needed to be reviewed and the region for implementation of its to be inaccessible to international refocused to facilitate more efficient mandate as a Category 2 Centre and organizations to enable assessment implementation to enable the team embarked upon discussions with its main of the conditions and ability to offer to enhance its performance, meet the partners and Advisory Bodies to address technical and humanitarian assistance. new challenges and fulfil its steadily these issues. However, ARC-WH team endeavoured increasing obligations. By the end of the year 2017; ARC-WH to implement its Action Plan for the Therefore, as ARC-WH was getting was already looking forward to building year, where and when possible, as it ready for a new phase, it was recognized on its previous accomplishments and was endorsed by the Governing Board early in the year that a new strategy achievements and embarked on the in February 2017, and in line with for the Centre needed to be developed preparation of its new Action Plan its mandate. The Plan focused on to encompass the cultural strategy and for 2018; responding to the changing offering training and capacity building revise its natural strategy, while taking and challenging conditions in the for professionals of State Parties in the into consideration and responding to region through a realistic and dynamic Arab region and assisting them in the the evolving linkages between the approach. implementation of the 1972 Convention. natural and cultural heritage. Thus two It is worthy to note that ARC-WH From helping with revising Tentative Lists separate workshops were organized would not have been able to achieve to providing support in the understanding and conducted to discuss and develop its objectives, develop its abilities of technical and complex issues needed a general Strategy for the Centre, and fulfil its obligations without the for preparation of nomination files, or followed by more focused workshop for continued guidance and encouragement post inscription management plans the Centre’s cultural heritage strategy. of the Arab Regional Centre from H.E. and state of conservation reports, the The strategies were developed with the Sheikha Mai Al- Khalifa, the Chairperson team expanded and consolidated its participation of ARC-WH main partners, of the Governing Board. I would also intervention to cover wider geographical WHC, ICOMOS, ICCROM and IUCN in like to express our appreciation to the area in the region and promote addition to a number of regional and support of our partners, WHC and all the cooperation with more stakeholders in international experts. members of our Governing Board. various Arab countries. Over the past year, the Centre The year 2017 was also the year when strengthened its professional networks, ARC-WH focused on the development developed new partnerships, extended and expansion of the Centre’s visibility existing agreements and participated in Dr. Shadia Touqan through its enhanced communication a number of international events and policy including creating a new ARC-WH meetings that dealt with the current Director of the Arab Regional Centre brand, launching of a revamped and challenges and needs of Cultural and for World Heritage modernized website, while intensifying Natural Heritage Sites in the region, the use of social media. ARC-WH also initiated a Resource Medina of Tunis © Editions Gelbart ARC-WH ANNUAL REPORT 2017 9 prefACe ArC-WH teAM We aim to be a leading organisation concerning cultural and natural heritage protection, for the benefit of both the arab states and the wider world, providing the knowledge and technical assistance to effectively implement the World heritage Convention in the arab region. Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata, Mauritania © Editions Gelbart ARC-WH ANNUAL REPORT 2017 11 to strengthen the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the bACKGROUND