Cultural Heritage and Development : A Framework for Action in the Middle East and North Africa
The countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are blessed with an extraordinary cultural patrimony, secular and religious, of huge importance for each country and for humankind at large. The region is home to 48 sites already inscribed on the world heritage list maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and has an enormous nonmaterial heritage as well. The Middle East is also the cradle of the world's major monotheistic religions. This cultural patrimony is a cornerstone of many people's existence and nourishes their daily lives. It must continue to flourish. This report analyzes the cultural heritage sector in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, and the World Bank's policy and operational experiences in this sector over the past six years, 1996-2001. It has three objectives: 1) to explore the characteristics, capacities, needs, and constraints of the region's cultural sector and their relevance to overall country development; 2) to take stock, describe, and analyze the World Bank's past and current support for preservation and management of the region's cultural heritage; and 3) to extract the lessons of experience and define the strategy framework for future Bank assistance for preserving and managing the MENA region's patrimony.
Summary: | The countries of the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA) are blessed with an extraordinary
cultural patrimony, secular and religious, of huge
importance for each country and for humankind at large. The
region is home to 48 sites already inscribed on the world
heritage list maintained by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and has an
enormous nonmaterial heritage as well. The Middle East is
also the cradle of the world's major monotheistic
religions. This cultural patrimony is a cornerstone of many
people's existence and nourishes their daily lives. It
must continue to flourish. This report analyzes the cultural
heritage sector in the countries of the Middle East and
North Africa, and the World Bank's policy and
operational experiences in this sector over the past six
years, 1996-2001. It has three objectives: 1) to explore the
characteristics, capacities, needs, and constraints of the
region's cultural sector and their relevance to overall
country development; 2) to take stock, describe, and analyze
the World Bank's past and current support for
preservation and management of the region's cultural
heritage; and 3) to extract the lessons of experience and
define the strategy framework for future Bank assistance for
preserving and managing the MENA region's patrimony. |
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