Mount Mulanje is on the cusp of becoming a World Heritage Site, as a team of experts from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) arrives in Malawi to evaluate its application.
This significant step follows the Malawi government’s application submission to UNESCO in February this year, seeking consideration for Mt. Mulanje as a cultural World Heritage Site.
The ICOMOS team will assess the site’s cultural and natural significance, a crucial step in the application process.
According to Kondwani Chamwala, Environmental Education and Communication for the Mt Mulanje Conservation Trust (MMCT), achieving World Heritage Site status represents the highest international recognition, acknowledging the outstanding universal value of Mt. Mulanje’s cultural and natural heritage.
Chamwala emphasized that “The Malawi Government aims to highlight the intangible cultural heritage of the area, as reflected in the spiritual, livelihood, and cultural traditions of the surrounding population. The application is a robust and well-researched document, developed in collaboration with national and international experts.”
He further indicated that the drafting of the application process which spanned over a year of thorough analysis, has now been accepted by UNESCO as a final document, with no further amendments required.
In Malawi, the application process involved various stakeholders including three key Ministries, MMCT and communities neighbouring Mt. Mulanje, whose active participation and commitment are critical to ensuring a favourable assessment.
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