The proceedings of the eighth meeting of the Architectural and Urban Heritage Observatory in the Arab States, a mechanism under the Arab Organisation for Education, Culture, and Science (ALECSO), commenced on Monday at the ALECSO headquarters. The event saw the participation of specialists and experts from 18 Arab nations. The ongoing meeting, which will continue until December 19, delves into mechanisms to invigorate the activities of the Observatory and the Registry of Arab Urban Heritage. The agenda includes a special session to assess the damages inflicted upon architectural and urban heritage, culminating in the formulation of pertinent recommendations. ALECSO Director-General Mohamed Ould Amar underscored at the inauguration of the meeting the ALECSO's commitment to sustaining the meetings of this Observatory. He emphasised its pivotal role in implementing numerous projects and programmes associated with this heritage across Arab nations. He also addressed the heightened dangers and risks confrontin g architectural and urban heritage, exacerbated in the current year due to natural disasters such as the recent earthquake in the Al Haouz region of Morocco, floods in the Libyan city of Derna, and the looming threats of armed conflicts and wars, notably in Sudan as well as in the Gaza Strip in Palestine. Furthermore, he highlighted that the Observatory's action programme hinges on several key pillars, including dissemination, promotion, enhancement, and technical and legal support. This encompasses drafting plans, reviewing legislations, and Arab countries' support in removing their sites from UNESCO's red list. In her address, Minister of Cultural Affairs Hayet Guettat Guermazi underscored the significant efforts deployed to preserve architectural and urban heritage as an integral part of the heritage of medinas and their historical monuments. She emphasised that awareness of this heritage's importance requires the adoption of a coherent strategy, integrating it into the economic, social, and cultural dev elopment processes. The ministry prioritises heritage preservation and valorisation in its orientations and strategies. It is noteworthy that these two days will also provide an opportunity to examine the impact of conflicts and crises on architectural and urban heritage in several Arab countries, including Palestine, Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Inaugurated in October 2016, the observatory aims to preserve and valorise architectural and urban heritage in Arab countries, positioning itself at the core of sustainable urban development in the Arab region by 2030. Among its prerogatives is to ensure coordination and cooperation with governmental and non-governmental institutions and organisations specialised in this field, streamlining the exchange of heritage data and contributing to the formulation of policies preserving the memory of Arab cities. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse WINDHOEK: A 29-year-old Tanzanian woman is set to appear in the Opuwo Magistrate's court on Thursday for a bail application, in connection with the alleged trafficking of protected plant species. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) spokesperson Romeo Muyunda in a media statement on Monday said Diana Mashiku was arrested alongside Namibians, Veisiruaije Tjavara (25), Jennifer Simataa (37) and Tjivinda Unatavi (31) for being in possession of 46 Adenia pechuelii plants, which they allegedly harvested from the wild without a permit. The alleged plant trafficking occurred between 21 October and 10 November 2023 at Okandombo, in the Kunene region. 'This case is one of many where international poaching syndicates use Namibian enablers to persuade local community members to find and harvest Namibia's unique plant species for a small fee. The plants are then smuggled across international borders to be sold to plant collectors for substantial sums of money,' he said. Muyunda further said in the last two years, authorities have seized 666 indigenous plants, excluding illegal timber. A staggering 430 of the confiscated specimens were Adenia pechuelii, known as the 'Elephant's Foot', involving 16 criminal cases and the arrest of 37 suspects. Most of these arrests were the result of intelligence-led investigations spearheaded by the Blue Rhino Task Team, which comprises several branches of the Namibian Police Force working alongside the MEFT Investigations Unit,' he concluded. Source: The Namibia Press Agency