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🌍 Marrakech 2026 is coming.

From October 26 to 29, the 18th World Congress of the OWHC will bring together member cities for a pivotal moment in our collective journey. Centered on the theme “The New Urban Project: Toward Habitability of Historic Centers,” this congress marks a decisive step forward.

Since Quebec City in 2022, where we acknowledged the urgency of the crises affecting our historic centers, and Córdoba in 2024, where we affirmed habitability as a shared response, our network has been building a common vision. In Marrakech, we move from reflection to action.

This congress will introduce the OWHC’s New Urban Project, a structured and evolving framework designed to support cities in addressing the real challenges of habitability. Developed through an unprecedented collaborative effort involving more than half of our members, it represents a collective ambition to rethink how we act within historic urban spaces.

Marrakech 2026 will also be a key moment for the life of our organization, as member cities come together to shape the next Action Plan and define priorities for the years ahead.

More than ever, this gathering will be an opportunity to share perspectives, strengthen cooperation, and collectively shape the future of our historic centers.

We look forward to welcoming you in Marrakech.

The OWHC is pleased to announce the accession of two new member cities: Djenné, Mali, and Agadez, Niger. These two iconic cities enrich our international network with their exceptional sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Located in the inner Niger Delta, Djenné is world-renowned for its remarkable earthen architecture and the historic ensemble of the Old Town of Djenné, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1988. A true symbol of Sahelian architectural genius, the city is particularly notable for its famous Great Mosque, considered one of the largest earthen buildings in the world. Djenné bears witness to an ancient urban and commercial tradition that played a major role in cultural and economic exchanges in West Africa.

For its part, the city of Agadez in Niger is home to the Historic Center of Agadez, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. A former caravan city in the heart of the Sahara, Agadez developed as an important crossroads for trans-Saharan trade and a major center of Tuareg culture. Its earthen urban fabric, dominated by the imposing minaret of the Great Mosque of Agadez—the tallest adobe minaret in the world—illustrates the remarkable adaptation of architecture to the climatic and cultural conditions of the desert.

The inscription of these sites on the World Heritage List recognizes their Outstanding Universal Value, particularly for their unique testimony to the cultural traditions, historical exchanges, and forms of urbanism specific to Sahelian civilizations.

By joining the OWHC, Djenné and Agadez are committing to actively participate in sharing experiences, good practices, and knowledge with other member cities in the network. Their presence strengthens the cultural and geographic diversity of our organization.

Let us warmly welcome Djenné and Agadez to our international network dedicated to the protection and enhancement of World Heritage cities!

𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐈𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐒 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐖𝐇𝐂 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬

Following the work done on the Framework about Cultural Tourism from ICOMOS ICTC, ICOMOS would like to forward to OWHC member cities this invitation for a webinar series to promote the application of their ICTC Tourism Charter:

From Principles to Practice: Operationalising the ICOMOS International Charter for Cultural Heritage Tourism (2022).

Their aim is to create a focused space for exchange where ICOMOS members and key partners can share experiences, present ongoing work, and engage in discussion on the practical application of the Charter across different contexts.

The webinars will take place monthly at 13:00 CET on the following dates:

• 25 February – Introduction to ICTC, the Charter & Charter Operationalisation (ChOp)
• 25 March – Principles 1 & 2 (Planning, Visitor Management, Inclusive Governance)
• 22 April – Principle 3 (Knowledge, Interpretation, Education)
• 27 May – Principles 4 & 5 (Community, Local Development, Benefit-sharing)
• 24 June – Principles 6 & 7 (Climate Action, Sustainability, Long-term Management)

Webinar on Cultural Heritage Tourism: Principles to Practice - ICOMOS Engage with experts in cultural heritage tourism through the ICTC Webinar Series and help examine the practical implementation of the ICOMOS International Charter for Cultural Heritage Tourism (2022).

Submit a structuring project for the 2026 Jean-Paul-L'Allier Prize

The Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2026 edition of the Jean-Paul-L'Allier Prize. This prize recognises outstanding projects implemented by member cities that contribute significantly to the enhancement, regeneration and sustainable management of their historic centres.

For this edition, the Prize invites member cities to submit structural and cross-cutting projects that promote the regeneration of historic centres through strategies focused on habitability. These initiatives must have already been implemented and place residents at the heart of public decisions, demonstrating concrete and lasting effects on their quality of life.

The mayor of the winning city will be a guest of honour at the 18th World Congress of the OWHC, which will take place in Marrakech from 26 to 29 October 2026. During this event, the winning project will be announced and presented.

Applications are open until 8 May 2026. For more information on applications, visit our website (link available in bio).

Member cities are invited to propose projects that use heritage as a lever for urban regeneration!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐖𝐇𝐂 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓!

As we enter the new year, the General Secretariat would like to warmly thank all member cities for their intense and generous participation in the Organization's activities in 2025. The Quebec Roadmap and the Cordoba Path have reached a decisive stage that brings us closer to the New Urban Project.

In 2026, we will meet in Marrakech for the 18th OWHC World Congress. This event will mark the culmination of an unprecedented collaborative effort undertaken in 2022 and will open a new phase of cooperation for our members.

During this festive season, the entire team at the General Secretariat wishes you peaceful, convivial, and sharing holidays, as well as a 2026 filled with dialogue, cooperation, and shared ambition.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑂𝑊𝐻𝐶

The OWHC held its first-ever meeting dedicated to Sub-Saharan African World Heritage Cities in Lamu, Kenya. Over two days, representatives from seven cities gathered for a workshop to contribute to the development of the New Urban Project (NUP), the Organization's program aimed at regenerating historic centers through urban strategies focused on habitability.

𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝

The discussions highlighted several challenges common to the participating cities:
• rising sea levels and desertification;
• the impacts of the climate crisis on built heritage and infrastructure;
• mobility management in cities not designed for motor vehicles;
• waste management and health issues;
• the balance between tourism development and quality of life;
• reconciling new urban needs with the preservation of authenticity.

𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Several non-member cities expressed their desire to join the Organization. Together, the participants agreed to create a regional collaboration framework—the Lamu Group—to actively contribute to the ongoing work leading up to the presentation of the New Urban Project at the 18th OWHC World Congress, to be held in Marrakech from October 26 to 29, 2026.

𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

The OWHC warmly thanks the mayors and representatives of the cities of Agadez (Niger), Chinguetti (Mauritania), Cidade Velha (Cape Verde), Harar (Ethiopia), Saint-Louis (Senegal), and Timbuktu (Mali) for their rich and generous contributions.
Our thanks also go to CHiFA, a partner of the OWHC, as well as to the institutions and organizations that participated in the workshop: Lamu Museum, Friends of Lamu Cultural Heritage, UNESCO – Regional Office for East Africa, UN-Habitat-Regional Office for Africa, and World Monuments Fund.

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭!

The Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) is pleased to announce that the city of Marrakech (Morocco) will host the 18th OWHC World Congress from October 26 to 29, 2026.

This World Congress will mark the culmination of the process begun in 2022 in Quebec City to design and adopt the OWHC's New Urban Project (NUP). The orientations validated in Cordoba in 2024 will be translated into a concrete proposal for action to regenerate the Habitability of historic centers, making heritage, both tangible and intangible, a resource for sustainable urban transformation.

The collective work is still ongoing: it is still time to get involve building this NUP! It will continue until spring 2026 with the participation of as many cities as possible in the activities of the Québec Roadmap and the Cordoba Path. Then it will already be time to register for this major event, which promises to be innovative and inspiring.

The Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General of the OWHC participate in the 5th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference, after many years of absence in Asia. This event is of the upmost importance as it is the opportunity for the General Secretariat to recreate bridges with Asian cities and to include their priorities into the New Urban Project. We thank the welcoming host, Hué, and organizing committee from the Regional Secretariat of Gyeongju for their commitment and generosity.

𝐼𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑁𝑈𝑃 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑠 𝐺𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 - 𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑁𝑈𝑃, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝐴𝑢𝑔𝑢𝑠𝑡 2025 ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠.

𝐍𝐔𝐏 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝟑.

The practical tools needed by member cities form what the OWHC refers to as its “New Urban Project” (NUP). The work currently underway should culminate, at the 18th OWHC World Congress in Marrakech in the fall of 2026, in:

• A cultural shift to exploit heritage as a resource;
• A structural change to be more effective and responsive in a context of profound urban change;
• A broadening of perspectives for action on the city and a decompartmentalization of approaches to unleash potential;
• Synergies offering cities better guarantees of success in developing their vision for the future.

The program offered under the NUP will strengthen the OWHC network, linking member cities even more closely based on the shared issues that bring them together, the priorities that guide them, and the operational nature of the actions they need to take.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟑𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐖𝐇𝐂 𝐃𝐚𝐲!

On September 8, 2025, member cities of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) celebrated the 32nd OWHC Day, a special occasion to recognize the richness of our network and the ongoing commitment of each of our member cities.

Created on September 8, 1993, in Fez, Morocco, the OWHC today brings together some 120 cities around the world that share the responsibility and pride of hosting a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Each year, this commemorative day invites member cities to promote the values of the Organization, strengthen the sense of belonging to the network, and mobilize their citizens around world heritage.

In 2025, many cities responded to this call by organizing cultural, artistic, and symbolic activities that highlight their commitment to heritage protection and international solidarity among historic cities.

To discover the various initiatives and celebrations held by member cities on the occasion of this 32nd OWHC Day, visit the dedicated page: https://www.ovpm.org/program/owhc-day/

The 3rd OWHC CityLab on Balanced Urban Tourism and Habitability just ended, with the participation of the cities of Amsterdam, Krakow, San Sebastian, Porto, Paris, Brussels and Luxemburg. Enormous positive prospects ahead !

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐎𝐖𝐇𝐂 𝐃𝐚𝐲!

Every September 8, we celebrate together the founding of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC). More than just an anniversary, it is an invitation to recognize the richness of our network and the ongoing commitment of each of our member cities. Their energy, ideas, and daily actions bring our common mission to life: to preserve and enhance heritage while improving the quality of life for residents of historic centers.

This day also reminds us that we are united by the conviction that heritage is an essential resource for building and imagining new ways of creating cities. Our cities share similar challenges, but above all, they share the same desire to find common solutions to today's major social and environmental issues.

Today, we are at a turning point. With the New Urban Project to be adopted at the World Congress in Marrakech in 2026, the OWHC is close to achieving the goal it set itself in 2022. This major objective is above all the result of collaboration between our members: it draws on their experiences, statements, and creativity to propose a common strategy for making our heritage cities habitable, sustainable, and resilient.

On this OWHC Day, let us celebrate the strength of our network and the role of each city in writing this new page in our collective history. Thank you to all our member cities for their commitment and trust. Together, let us continue to build this renewed and forward-looking OWHC.

Happy OWHC Day to all!