Ghana-Korea Heritage Partnership Must Go Beyond Financial Support- Tourism Minister
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called for Ghana’s heritage conservation partnership with the Republic of Korea to extend beyond financial and technical support to promote people-to-people exchanges and deeper cultural understanding.
She said creating opportunities for citizens of both countries, particularly the younger generation, to interact and share their cultures would strengthen the partnership and foster lasting connections.
She made the call when she received a delegation from the Korean National Commission for UNESCO in Accra as part of ongoing discussions on a heritage conservation project between Ghana and Korea.
The Minister recalled the warm reception accorded Ghana’s delegation during a recent visit to Korea, describing the interactions between the people of the two countries and the sharing of their cultures as meaningful.
She said while financial and technical support remained important to heritage conservation, building human connections should also form an essential part of the collaboration.
She expressed satisfaction with the progress of the partnership since her visit to Korea, saying the initiative had generated interest within the Ghanaian Government.
She said she had briefed Cabinet on the collaboration and disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama was pleased with the progress made and steps being taken to advance the project.
The Minister said the partnership was also timely, following recommendations by UNESCO in 2022 and 2024 for Ghana to take concrete measures to safeguard its heritage sites.
“We promise and assure you of our support to ensure that this is very successful,” she said.
Madam Gomashie expressed appreciation to the Korean Government for supporting Ghana’s heritage conservation efforts, despite the absence of comparable Ghanaian monuments in Korea, describing the collaboration as an example of international cooperation in preserving heritage.
She also disclosed that she had engaged the Danish Ambassador to Ghana on possible collaboration to improve the condition of Osu Castle, which was established during Danish rule.
According to the Minister, Denmark had expressed interest in supporting work at the castle, while future cooperation could also extend to Fort Prinzenstein in the Volta Region, another heritage site of Danish origin.
Mr Hyunik Hong, Secretary General of Korean Commission for UNESCO and member of the Korean heritage project team, commended the Ghanaian Government for its commitment to the collaboration.
He said a major focus of the project would be to build the capacity of Ghanaian heritage professionals and decision-makers to enable them to eventually take full responsibility for protecting and managing the country’s heritage.
Mr Hong said the Korean team would also engage communities around the heritage sites to understand their expectations and ensure that their views were reflected in the project.
He stressed that the support and participation of the Ghanaian people would be essential to the success of the partnership.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
