Rome, Italy | 3–5 November 2025
ICCROM and the Scuola nazionale del patrimonio e delle attività culturali (Scuola), with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture, are pleased to announce the closing event of World Heritage in Africa – Fostering Practitioners for Nomination Processes and Strategies (WHAPS), taking place in Rome, Italy from 3 to 5 November 2025.
Building Skills for Africa’s World Heritage Future
The event marks the conclusion of the nine-month WHAPS initiative, a flagship capacity-building programme designed to strengthen professional skills in Africa and Italy to engage effectively with World Heritage processes – from nominations to effective management and impact assessment.
Bringing together 29 heritage professionals from across Africa and one from Italy, the project has fostered a dynamic network of emerging professionals and specialists committed to ensuring that Africa’s rich and diverse heritage is more widely represented and sustainably safeguarded on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral, ICCROM Director-General, emphasized ICCROM’s ongoing dedication to Africa’s heritage sector, stating:
“The WHAPS programme embodies ICCROM’s long-standing commitment to empowering African professionals and institutions through targeted capacity-building initiatives enabling them to identify, conserve, and manage their heritage effectively and sustainably for the development and growth of their communities and society. Putting cultural heritage at the centre of developmental actions and fostering peer exchange between Africa and Italy, we are strengthening not only the skills but also the frameworks needed to conserve and safeguard our shared heritage for the present and the future generations.”
A Shared Commitment Between Africa and Italy
Onofrio Cutaia, Special Commissioner of Fondazione Scuola dei beni e delle attività culturali, highlighted the programme’s alignment with Italy’s broader cooperation priorities:
“Investing in skills and sharing experiences is fundamental to the future of conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage. With this initiative, the FondazioneScuola dei beni e delle attività culturali is responding to the guidelines of the Ministry of Culture as part of the Mattei Plan for Africa and renewing its commitment to the African continent, to the creation of communities of practice among professionals in Africa and Italy.”
Three Days of Exchange, Reflection, and Collaboration
Structured over three days, the Closing Event will combine an International Symposium with a participant-led EXPO, a study visit, and a collaborative workshop – offering a multifaceted platform to reflect on the programme’s outcomes and chart pathways for future cooperation.
- The International Symposium will open the event with keynote addresses from ICCROM, UNESCO, IUCN, the Ecole du Patrimoine Africain (EPA), the Italian Ministry of Culture, and Great Zimbabwe University, followed by the presentation of certificates to participants.
- The EXPO will provide participants with the opportunity to present their heritage places and case studies and how these places are managed on dedicated display panels – engaging directly with visitors and institutions and providing a central moment of visibility and exchange.
- Study visits to the Historic Centre of Rome – Palazzo Braschi, Palazzo della Cancelleria and Largo Argentina – will offer practical insights into heritage management challenges and opportunities.
- The final workshop session will offer a space for sharing experiences and evaluating the nine-month process of the project with a view to identifying lessons learned, gathering feedback, and exploring future regional and international collaborations.
Advancing Sustainable World Heritage Practices
Beyond celebrating achievements, the Closing Event is designed to consolidate the WHAPS network of heritage professionals and institutions, reinforce cooperation between Africa and Italy, and strengthen the project’s long-term goal of supporting sustainable World Heritage practices.
Launched in March 2025 at the Great Zimbabwe University and the Great Zimbabwe National Monument World Heritage site, WHAPS combined an opening forum, an online mentoring programme, and now culminates in this closing event in Rome. Together, these activities have equipped participants with practical tools and strategieswhile strengthening their regional and international networks to advance the objectives of the World Heritage Convention and ensure that heritage delivers benefits toIndigenous Peoples and local communities.
