3 November. On 27-28 October, the Director-General visited the Rathgen Research Laboratory and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany.

Mr Bouchenaki met Mr Stefan Simon, Director of the Rathgen Research Laboratory (Council Member of ICCROM); Mr Qingling Ma, Deputy Director, Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage; Mr Max Maldacker, Director, Division of Cultural Relations and Multilateral programmes, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and his collaborators.

On 28 October, the Director-General was present at a meeting about the creation of an alliance for cultural heritage preservation research in the Alten Museum, Museums Island, Berlin. Present also were: Ulrich Buller, on behalf of Hans Jörg Bullinger, President, Fraunhofer Society; Petra Merkel, MdB, Finance, Culture and Media Committee Member, Deutsches Bundestag; Frieder Meyer-Krahmer, State Secretary, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung; Hermann Parzinger, President, Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz; Ernst Theodor Rietschel, President, Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.

3 November. On 21-23 October, the Director-General participated in the Second Conference of African Union's Ministers of Culture in Algiers, Algeria where he met the thirty ministers of culture and their delegations.

Mr Bouchenaki met H.E. Mrs Khalida Toumi, Minister of Culture, Algeria; H.E. Mr Abdelkader Messahel, Minister of State in-charge of Maghrebin and African Affairs, Algeria; Mr Smail Oulebsir, Secretary General, Ministry of Culture, Algeria; Mr Adama Samassékou, former Ministry of Eudcation, Mali; Mr Philip Georgeais, Cultural Attaché, French Embassy in Algiers; Mr Mohammed Lakhda-Hamina, Algerian film director, winner of the 1975 Palme d'Or; and H.E. Dr Zweledinga Pallo Jordan, Minister of Culture, South Africa.

3 November. On 19-20 October, the Director-General participated in the International Seminar on the Rehabilitation of Historic Cities organized in Oran, Algeria by the Spanish University of Barcelona; Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID); and the Ministry of Culture of Algeria.

Among other experts, also present were: Xavier Casanovas, RehabiMed; and Mohamed Dahmani, OGEBC Ministry of Culture, Algeria

20 October. On 10-11 October, the Director-General participated in the third edition of Ravello Lab - international Symposium in Ravello, Italy which discussed the establishment of forum for analysis, discussion and proposals on the relationship of culture to development.

Also present were: Fabrizio Ago, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Senator Alfonso Andria, President, European Centre for Cultural Heritage; Eugenia Apicello, Secretary General, Centro Universitario Europeo per i Beni Culturali di Ravello; Mohamed Aziza, President, Mediterranean Observatory; H.E. Renato Brunetta, Minister, Public Administration and Innovation; Ambassador Francesco Caruso, Councilor of UNESCO Director General; Ferruccio Ferrigni, European University Centre for Cultural Heritage (CUEBC); Carlo Flamment, President of Formez; Roberto Grossi, Secretary General Federculture; Marie Paule Roudil, Head of Culture Section, BRESCE UNESCO; Gianfranco Varvesi, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The event was organized by: Federculture, Centro Universitario Europeo per i Beni Culturali di Ravello and Formez.

20 October. On 2-3 October, the Director-General participated in a conference on 'Developing Africa: an opportunity for Europe, Italy and Sicily' in Taormina, Sicily.

Also present were: José María Aznar López, former Prime Minister of Spain; Valerio De Molli, Managing Partner, European House-Ambrosetti; Mrs Kathleen Kennedy, Professor at Georgetown University's School of Public Policy; Professor Raffaaele Lombardo, President, Sicilian Region; Professor Edward Luttwak, Senior Associate, Centre for Strategic and International Studies; Mr Antonio Martino, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence; H.E. Janat Mukwaya, Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Industry, Uganda; Professor Carlo Rubbia, 1984 Nobel Prize in Physics; H.E. Oboshie Sai Cofie, Minister of Tourism, Ghana

The conference was organized by Prof Giovanni Puglisi, President of the Banco di Sicilia Foundation and by The European House Ambrosetti in Taormina.