Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie has secured a US$3.5 million commitment from the Korean National Commission for UNESCO to restore six of Ghana’s World Heritage Forts and Castles during an official visit to the Republic of Korea.

The funding was one of several outcomes from Ghana’s participation in the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, where the minister led a delegation in bilateral engagements to strengthen the conservation, management and sustainable development of the country’s World Heritage properties.

The Korean National Commission for UNESCO said the funding would support restoration activities at six selected Forts and Castles, complementing the Government of Ghana’s efforts to implement UNESCO’s recommendations and ensure the long-term conservation of the globally significant monuments.

Ghana also secured commitments from the Africa World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHIPIC) to strengthen the country’s heritage management capacity.

The Africa World Heritage Fund agreed to support the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) through specialised human resource development and capacity-building programmes aimed at strengthening heritage conservation and management.

WHIPIC also committed to providing technical training for officers of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board in heritage site interpretation and visitor experience management to improve the presentation and appreciation of Ghana’s heritage sites.

The Ghanaian delegation participated actively in the committee’s deliberations and held high-level bilateral meetings with the Africa World Heritage Fund, WHIPIC, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture and the Executive Director of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO. The discussions focused on strengthening Ghana’s heritage management systems, enhancing technical capacity and mobilising resources to address the conservation needs of the country’s World Heritage sites, particularly its Forts and Castles.

During the visit, Abla, accompanied by Ghana’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, H.E. Kojo Choi, and members of the delegation, attended the graduation ceremony for six Ghanaian officials who completed a specialised capacity-building programme organised by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO in Seoul.

The beneficiaries, drawn from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO, the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board and the Environmental Protection Agency, received intensive training on managing the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage sites.

Congratulating the participants, the minister expressed Ghana’s appreciation to the Korean National Commission for UNESCO for its continued investment in strengthening the country’s heritage management capacity.

She also thanked the Government and people of the Republic of Korea, UNESCO, the Africa World Heritage Fund and WHIPIC for their continued partnership and confidence in Ghana’s commitment to safeguarding its cultural heritage.

Dzifa reaffirmed the government’s commitment, under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, to protect and promote Ghana’s cultural heritage as a catalyst for tourism development, education, job creation and sustainable national development.

The delegation comprised Ghana’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Meredith Naakai Lamptey Addy; Secretary-General of the Ghana National Commission for UNESCO, Prof. Usman Damba; Acting Executive Director of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, Kwesi Essel Blankson; and the Ministry’s Director for Culture and Creative Arts, Divine Kwame Owusu-Ansah.