Eric Voli BI, the UNESCO Resident Representative in Haiti, received last week Antoine Michon, the French Ambassador to Haiti, accompanied by his political affairs officer and the Director of the French Development Agency (AFD). The discussions focused on strengthening the existing cooperation between UNESCO and France, one of the organization's member states.

The meeting concluded with the delivery of a batch of equipment to the National Heritage Preservation Institute (ISPAN) funded by the French Ministry of Culture.

While expressing his thanks on behalf of the Haitian State, Elsoit Colas, ISPAN's Technical Director, stated that this donation is part of the second phase of a project aimed at digitizing and making ISPAN documentation accessible to the public, while promoting Haitian heritage.

Ambassador Michon stressed the importance of protecting heritage, particularly in the face of threats from time, theft and earthquakes, and reaffirmed France's commitment to supporting this essential project, including training for the conservation of the Citadel National Historical Park.

The UNESCO Representative said, "This delivery of materials, including computers, scanners and other essential equipment, is a significant step forward towards better preserved, better disseminated and better studied heritage. We hope that this initiative will pave the way for other fruitful collaborations."

IH/ iciHaiti