Maharana of Mewar Charitable
Foundation (MMCF) diary

Study tour to French Cities
October 2011
Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF), Udaipur; UNESCO India Office, New Delhi and Udaipur Municipal Council (UMC) entered into an agreement to collaborate on a Joint Co-operation Programme (JCP) for the sustainable development of Udaipur. The first phase agreement was signed on 1st December 2006 at the office of the District Collectorate, Udaipur by Ms. Minja Yang, Director - UNESCO India Office, New Delhi; Mr. Shikhar Agarwal IAS, District Magistrate, Udaipur; Mr. Ravindra Shrimali, Chairperson - Udaipur Municipal Council and Secretary - Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, Udaipur. The first phase was completed on the 31st December 2007. The JCP framework recognizes India's cultural heritage and the character of Indian cities as people meet the challenges, ideas and thoughts that are required to adapt to the rapid urbanization and globalization in the 21st Century. Agreement was reached to contribute towards the collective benefit of all member cities and their associated partners.

The JCP was established in 2006 by Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur, Chairman and Managing Trustee of Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, Udaipur and Ms. Minja Yang, Ex-Director UNESCO India Office, New Delhi at an international workshop held at The City Palace Museum, Udaipur. UNESCO led IHCN, UMC and MMCF successfully collaborated on a Joint Co-operation Programme and its Plan of Action for 2007 on various heritage activities in Udaipur, namely, the formation of a heritage cell in UMC together with the review of Udaipur City Development Plan by IHCN.

The programmes will include capacity building amongst UMC officials i.e. training in communications, organisational behavioral seminars to develop teamwork and management orientation schedules.

It was also agreed to hold numerous workshops and conferences with national and international expert missions to Udaipur.

In 2011, a Joint Co-operation Programme (JCP) was signed between Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation, UNESCO India Office, New Delhi; Udaipur Municipal Council; The City of Strasbourg (Municipalite de Strasbourg), France and Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation, Udaipur for three years 2011-2013 to strengthen Udaipur's knowledge base, develop a framework and undertake activities to preserve its heritage and develop international collaboration and partnerships for heritage-based projects in Udaipur. A signing ceremony was held at The City of Strasbourg, France on the 2nd October 2011. The JCP was signed by Mr. Roland Ries, Mayor of The City of Strasbourg; Ms. Rajni Dangi, Chairperson, Udaipur Municipal Council; Ms. Rathi Vinay Jha, Chairperson, IHCN, New Delhi and Dr. Mayank Gupta, Deputy Secretary MMCF-Development, MMCF, Udaipur. Other dignitaries present at the ceremony were, His Excellence Mr. Rakesh Sood IFS, The Ambassador of India to France; Mr. Dinesh Kothari RAS, Commissioner, Udaipur Municipal Council; Mr. Manish Arora, In-charge, heritage Cell, Udaipur Municipal Council and Deputy Mayors & Council Members from the City of Strasbourg.

Introduction:
The Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation (IHCN-F) is an Indian Public Charitable Trust established in 2009 with the purpose of furthering the promotion and dissemination of knowledge in the field of sustainable development and urban heritage conservation based on respect and concern for the cultural and natural resources, local character, cultural identity, social networks, living heritage, crafts and creativity etc.;