The Great Zimbabwe Development Project
Project Approach
Sustainable and inclusive development is at the core of the projects that AFD funds, therefore, UNOPS will ensure that all the activities and implementing partners comply with the minimum standards of Environmental and Social Safeguards (E&S) and Gender and Diversity Inclusion. UNOPS will apply its existing expertise and experience in mainstreaming E&S safeguards including Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM) within implementing partners in the local environment that are successfully demonstrated under its portfolio of projects managed and implemented in the country, funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
UNOPS is committed to contributing to the project’s efforts to rehabilitate and develop the Great Zimbabwe WHS into world-class stands for cultural sites while ensuring archaeological integrity, national ownership and local capacity building for the sustainability of the project interventions.
Project Objectives
The Rehabilitation and Development of the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site Project aims to promote Zimbabwe’s tourism and cultural heritage by enhancing the World Heritage Site and building national capacity for heritage preservation and related economic activities.
The project’s specific objectives are to:
Enhance the value of the Great Zimbabwe site
Strengthen its cultural and educational programs
Diversify tourism offerings linked to the site
Attract a wider and more diverse audience
Through these efforts, the project contributes directly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while delivering cultural, social, and economic benefits.
Project Partners
The Great Zimbabwe Development Project is funded by the Agence Française de Développement and is implemented, project managed and fund managed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
The lead national implementing partner is the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage (MOHACH). Other national partners include the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry (MOETHI), the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), the Great Zimbabwe Board, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), Masvingo Rural District Council (RDC) and the National Parks and Wildlife Authority Management.
Additional support is being provided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
