UNESCO and Northern State Strengthen Cooperation to Safeguard Sudan’s World Heritage

A productive meeting was held between Mr. Ahmed Junaid Sorosh-Wali, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Sudan, and His Excellency Lt. Gen. Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid, Governor of Northern State.

During the meeting, congratulations were extended to the Governor on the designation of Dongola as the Capital of Tourism 2026, in recognition of its diverse and distinctive tourism assets. The UNESCO Representative also briefed H.E. the Governor on recent emergency protection measures undertaken by UNESCO in partnership with site management, as well as the decisions of the World Heritage Committee regarding the state of conservation of the Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region, inscribed on the World Heritage List since 2003.

He provided a comprehensive overview of the challenges affecting the conservation of both the core and buffer zones of the site, and emphasized the need to mobilize all stakeholders' efforts to meet conservation requirements and safeguard the site's Outstanding Universal Value for future generations.