Reframing Heritage Authenticity: African Perspectives and a Conceptual Shift in the World Heritage Framework

Africa encompasses immense cultural and ecological diversity, reflected not only in tangible but also in intangible heritage including living traditions, spiritual landscapes, and social practices that remain integral to community life. Colonial administrations in Africa, however, imposed heritage frameworks that privileged material permanence and Eurocentric conservation principles, marginalising relational, performative, and community-based conceptions of heritage. These legacies continue to shape both national heritage systems and international heritage governance. At the global level, mounting criticism of the World Heritage List’s geographic and thematic imbalances led to the adoption of UNESCO’s Global Strategy in 1994, aimed at promoting greater representativeness and inclusivity. Africa was identified as one of the priority regions within this initiative, yet its heritage remains significantly underrepresented. This chapter argues that the underlying cause extends beyond technical or institutional capacity constraints to a deeper conceptual misalignment: prevailing global definitions of heritage authenticity remain rooted in material-centric paradigms that insufficiently reflect African perspectives. Importantly, this challenge is not unique to Africa but affects indigenous peoples, minority communities, and other vulnerable groups worldwide. Drawing on debates from the 2025 Nairobi Conference, the chapter argues for a fundamental reconceptualisation of heritage authenticity as a prerequisite for a more credible and balanced World Heritage system.