Uganda Throws Weight Behind Nairobi Heritage Pact at UNESCO Summit

What the report says

Dokolo Post reported that Uganda has backed the Nairobi Outcome Document at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, framing the move as part of a wider commitment to stronger cultural heritage protection. Uganda’s position was delivered on July 21, 2026, by H.E. Doreen Ruth Amule, Uganda’s ambassador to Paris, who represented the country at the meeting.

According to the report, Uganda welcomed the document’s focus on authenticity and integrity in heritage conservation, and praised the World Heritage Centre’s proposal to advance it through institutionalisation and capacity building. The Ugandan delegation linked the Nairobi document to earlier international heritage frameworks, including the 1994 Nara Document on Authenticity and the 1964 Venice Charter.

The delegation said putting the Nairobi Outcome Document into practice would signal stronger attention to African heritage within global conservation systems, while also encouraging more inclusive approaches. Uganda also argued that the framework could support technical expertise, international collaboration and community participation, including among young people involved in protecting cultural heritage.

Dokolo Post also reported that Uganda supported the start of the fourth cycle of periodic reporting under the World Heritage Convention. The delegation urged that discussion of the Nairobi document should reach site managers beyond formal committee sessions so that implementation can begin at heritage sites. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee session is scheduled for July 19-29, 2026, at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center, with delegates from around the world taking part.