On March 21st 2006 a ceremony took place at the Mangaas beach (in north-west Efate near Mangaliliu village) to mark the official signing of the World Heritage Nomination File and Management Plan for the Roi Mata Domain. The Roi Mata Domain (RMD) comprises three principal locations associated with the life and death of Chief Roi Mata, who resided in north-west Efate about 400 years ago (1600AD). The three sites of the Roi Mata Domain being nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage List are:
Mangaas – Roi Mata’s residence and farea
Fels Cave – Where he purportedly drew his last breath
Eretoka (Hat Island) – Roi Mata’s burial site
About 150 people assembled as the nomination file and management plan were signed by the Chiefs of Mangaliliu and Lelepa, the eight members of the community World Heritage and Tourism Committee (WHTC), and the Director of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre.
The WHTC also signed a set of By-Laws and took an oath to follow the guidelines for cultural heritage management, as set forth in the RMD Management Plan. The WHTC comprises four men and four women from Mangaliliu and Lelepa Communities.
The signed documents will be submitted to UNESCO’s World Heritage Commission in June 2006, to support the nomination of the RMD.
In 2007 assessors from the World Heritage Commission are expected to visit the RMD to make an appraisal of the effectiveness of the communities’ management of the sites. The final decision to include the RMD on the World Heritage Register will not be announced until 2008.
A community based tourism venture is currently being developed by Mangaliliu and Lelepa villages, to support the upcoming nomination. The Roi Mata Cultural Tour will depart from the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, where visitors will have the opportunity to view the soon-to-be inaugurated new Roi Mata Display. The tour will then depart for the Lelepa region where visitors will be guided through an interpretative tour of the RMD.
