The 56^th meeting of the Board of Directors of the OWHC took place in Luxembourg (Luxembourg) from March 22 to 24, 2023. Seven of the eight member cities of the Board of Directors were represented and were able to deal with the usual administrative matters, but also to debate and exchange on various topics that affect our organization and its development.

Following the reading of the message of the President of the OWHC (Mayor of Quebec City Mr. Bruno Marchand) by his representative Ms. Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc, the Mayor of Évora, Mr. Carlos Pinto de Sá, opened and chaired the meeting.

In terms of administrative matters, the members of the Board of Directors approved, among other things, the independent auditor’s report for the year 2022 as well as a revision of the internal procedure of the Board of Directors, which allows the OWHC to reduce the requirements for a member city to host a Board meeting. The Directors also enthusiastically welcomed the candidacy of the Mayor of Évora as Vice-President of the OWHC and the Mayor of Bruges as Treasurer for a second term. We congratulate them for this election!

On the strategic level, the members of the Board of Directors also discussed various proposals to develop the membership of the OWHC, an action that is part of the Strategy 2021-2025 of the Organization. The 30^th Anniversary of the OWHC, which will be celebrated in 2023, was also the subject of an important decision: the member cities will be invited to mark this event within the framework of the Solidarity Day of World Heritage Cities, which is celebrated annually on September 8. Finally, a discussion on the OWHC’s programs, including the Roadmap and the Emergency Program, provided an opportunity to enlighten the Board members on the path taken since the 16^th World Congress, during which the 2022-2024 Action Plan was adopted, and the developments that are underway.

Finally, the Mayor of Cordoba (Spain), Mr. José María Bellido Roche, connected virtually to present the status of preparations for the 17^th World Congress, which will take place from September 24 to 27, 2024.

The members of the Board of Directors thank the Mayor of Luxembourg, Mrs. Lydie Polfer, for generously hosting the 56^th meeting of the Board of Directors of the OWHC, and thank her entire team for the excellent organization of the event.

© Photo library of the City of Luxembourg, Charles Soubry