The Ministry of Culture on Thursday hosted the first meeting of the national scientific committee in charge of increasing the chances of Djerba's application for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The meeting was attended by the heads of the national institutions responsible for heritage, under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture along with members of the committee, which is made up of representatives from four other ministries, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs; Migration and Tunisians Abroad; Agriculture and Water Resources; Public Works and Housing; and Religious Affairs.
Members of the Association de Sauvegarde de l'île de Djerba (ASM) also participated in the meeting remotely.
The new scientific committee, set up following a ministerial working session held in the Kasbah on July 22 , is responsible for implementing the recommendations of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in connection with Djerba's application to UNESCO.
Cultural Affairs Minister, Hayet Ketat Guermazi, underlined that her department is keen to finalise Djerba's application to UNESCO, with a view to submitting it in the next few days. This approach "reflects the determination of the Tunisian state to protect the diversity of its cultural and civilisational heritage and to preserve its various elements," she said.
She pointed out that "this national project is a top priority in the Ministry's programme, especially since no Tunisian site has been inscribed on the World Heritage List since 1997". She recalled that Tunisia has 7 sites and monuments classified as World Heritage from 1979 to 1997: Tunis medina / Carthage site / EL Jem amphitheatre (1979), Kerkouane site (1986), Sousse medina / Kairouan medina (1988) and the Dougga site (1997).
"The inclusion of the island of Djerba in the World Heritage List will have a positive impact on the cultural, economic and tourist sectors," added the Minister, who also emphasised that it could "contribute to strengthening the region's international and regional influence".
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse