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UNESCO and the EU support livelihoods through cultural heritage development in Jordan and Iraq
Support to livelihoods through cultural heritage deÂÂveÂlopÂment in Jordan and Iraq
UNESCO and the EU strengthen their partnership with the project "Support to livelihoods through cultural heritage development" by creating short-term decent job opportunities through employment-intensive methods applied to safeguard cultural heritage in the northern districts of Jordan and Iraq.
In line with governmental priorities, the € 11 Million project will seek to engage both Jordanians, Iraqis and Syrians, including young people, in their respective communities in the preservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage sites for tourism purposes in the northern districts of Jordan (Irbid and Mafraq) and Iraq (Erbil and Duhok). A Steering committee, co-coordinated by UNESCO, will provide strategic guidance and will further support this work, in partnership with relevant institutions including the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Institut Français du Proche-Orient (IFPO) and the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology (GPIA).
Supported by the EU Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian crisis, the EU ’Madad’ Fund, the project will be coordinated by the UNESCO Office in Amman and implemented together with the UNESCO Office in Iraq and key partners over the next two years. H.E. Majd Shweikeh, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, emphasizes the importance of turning challenges to tourism into concrete opportunities.
Mr. Dara al Yaqoobi, Deputy Minister and Head of the High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization has shared enthusiasm surrounding the robust partnerships that will serve to ensure strong outcomes. In recent years, the European Union has been an enduring strategic partner of UNESCO in Jordan and Iraq, providing generous funding and expertise to projects focused on education, culture, freedom of expression and enhancing resilience as well as providing skills and jobs to young people, and cooperation in the field of water management, for example in the ASHRI Project in Iraq.
