Cape Coast, May 4, GNA - Four international organisations charged with specific aspects of the preservation, conservation and rehabilitation of historic monuments and sites for the promotion of tourism have completed their mandates.

MUCIA (museums), Conservation International (forests), US ICOMOS (monuments and sites), and Smithsonian Institute (touristic products development) are due to hand over portions of the project they undertook to the Ghana Heritage Conservation Trust (GHCT) in June, this year.

Mr Nkunu Akyea, Executive Director of the GHCT, made this known at a meeting to brief members of the Ghana branch of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) on a familiarisation tour to Cape Coast and Elmina recently. He said the project is under a ten-year National Resource Conservation and Historic Preservation Programme, adding that a document covering the scope of the Central Regional portion of the programme would be out soon.

The document, entitled "Development Programme for the Preservation of Historic Monuments, Buildings and Sites in Cape Coast and Elmina", is a product of a workshop held for various players of the development of the Region last year.

He, however, noted that the ideals of the programme were already being implemented under a USAID sponsorship, adding that the first phase focused on the development of parks and rehabilitation of castles.

Mr Akyea said under the second phase, 300 residential and office buildings had been selected between Cape Coast and Elmina based on their historic, monumental and touristic relevance, for rehabilitation and preservation.

"Out of the 300 buildings, 10 families are currently benefiting from "home owners grants" for the development of their houses as tourists attractions." Mr Akyea mentioned other aspects of the Cape Coast/Elmina development projects as the improvement of conditions at Kakum Park, improvement of hotel accommodation, the beaches, transportation facilities and the road network in the area.

This, he said, is to give a face-lift to eco-tourism and to create a dynamic walking tourism industry in the region. He stressed the need for Ghanaians to preserve certain aspects of their culture, saying: "this is our trump card for the realisation of the vision 2020 goals for the tourism sector".

Mr Daniel Kpodo-Tay, President of ICOMOS, Ghana, praised the GHCT, the Cape Coast Municipal Assembly and the chiefs and people of the area for their initiative towards the preservation of historic monuments and sites. He said ICOMOS, during its presence in Ghana in the past 33 years, had sought to direct government's attention to the need to preserve historic sites.

Mr Kpodo-Tay, therefore, repeated the call for all forts, castles and other monumental structures currently being used for other purposes to be vacated to ensure their due preservation. He said through the effort of ICOMOS, the Usher Fort has now been vacated by the Prison Service and handed over to the National Museums and Monuments Board and ICOMOS, Ghana.

"We also intervened in the attempted destruction of the canons on our beaches by the military and it was through our effort that most trees were not hewn down during the road network projects in the country."

Mr Kpodo-Tay announced that in July, this year, the president of US/ICOMOS would visit the country. ICOMOS is an international NGO founded in 1965 to preserve post-World War and African independence historic buildings, districts and sites.

It comprises 100 national committees and 20 specialised committees across the world.