The UNESCO World Heritage Committee in its 29th session in the South African city of Durban on Monday approved the creation of the African World Heritage Fund for the preservation of African heritage sites, dpa reported. A spokesman of the South African Ministry of Culture said China, the Netherlands, India and Israel have made concrete financial pledges, while other nations have expressed interest in lending support. African heritage sites are in urgent need of financial support, the spokesman said, adding that 14 of the 35 of the sites listed as most endangered by the World Heritage Committee were in Africa. The one-week meeting of UNESCO experts was the first to take place in sub-Saharan Africa. --SP 2229 Local Time 1929 GMT
