Committee Meet Endorses Ethiopia's Agendas
World Heritage

The Ethiopian Herald (Addis Ababa)

August 2, 2005
Posted to the web August 2, 2005

ENA
Addis Ababa

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture says that agendas which Ethiopia presented concerning the Semien National Park, world heritage site in Axum and the Walled City of Harar, also known as Jegol, at the 29th World Heritage Committee meeting held in South Africa, have been endorsed.

Ambassador Teshome Toga told ENA recently that the World Heritage Committee meeting held from July 17-24, 2005 in Durban has made constructive decisions to the agendas.

He said the Committee has appreciated the efforts made by the government, the Amhara State and foreign supporters to increase red fox population in the Semien National Park, which has been declining. The Committee also recognized that the number is indeed on the increase.

The Committee also recommended that efforts being exerted by stakeholders to rescue the park should be further strengthened, according to Ambassador Teshome.

He said the Ethiopian delegation has drawn the attention of the Committee to the efforts Ethiopia is making in collaboration with the Austrian government to find alternative jobs to the community settling around the park.

He also indicated that the committee has commended the efforts of Ethiopia to voluntarily resettle the community relocating them from the park and also benefit those residing in the area from the income obtained from the park.

Ethiopia has been requested to submit a master plan and additional information for the registration of Jegol in the World Heritage List, he said.

He further said that though the Axum Obelisk has been registered in the World Heritage List, Ethiopia has been requested to keep the heritage intact and submit management plan.

Concerning management plan, the Committee has approved the various projects designed over the past two years with 5,000,000 dollar provided by the World Bank through the personal initiative of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, he said.

Ethiopia and South Africa are the leading African countries to have registered heritages in the World Heritage List, according to Ambassador Teshome.