On 11 March, UNESCO and the Quanzhou Municipal People's Government officially launched the China Trust Fund (Quanzhou) Capacity Building Project for African World Heritage Sites through a virtual signing ceremony.

　　Virtual signing of the China Trust Fund (Quanzhou) Capacity Building Project for African World Heritage Sites.

　　The event was attended by Mr Ernesto Ottone Ramírez, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture; Mr Qin Changwei, Secretary-General of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO; and Ms Huang Wenjie, Vice Mayor of Quanzhou.

　　The project aims to:

　　Enhance the resilience and risk preparedness of African World Heritage site managers;

　　Strengthen institutional capacity across the continent;

　　Expand the mentorship programme by training and empowering African heritage professionals.

　　The initiative deepens collaboration between Chinese and African experts and supports Africa’s implementation of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. It contributes to the sustainable management of World Heritage by improving regional representation and facilitating cross-continental exchange of knowledge and expertise.

　　China continues to prioritise its partnership with UNESCO, strongly supporting the organisation’s Global Strategy for a Representative, Balanced and Credible World Heritage List, with particular emphasis on the Priority Africa strategy. Quanzhou’s active engagement in this project is aligned with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

　　This signing represents a concrete step in fulfilling China’s commitments made during the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee and the China-Africa-UNESCO Dialogue on Education and Cultural Heritage Protection. It also highlights UNESCO’s recognition of Quanzhou’s contributions to heritage conservation and its role in fostering more inclusive global heritage narratives through enhanced visibility and support for Africa’s cultural legacy.