Photo by Frederique Darragon

On May 20th and 21st 2005, Frédérique gave Henry Ng, Executive Vice-President of the World Monument Fund, a tour of some of the towers.

On June 21st, the inscription of the towers on the 2006 Watch List was officially announced in New York.

On June 24th Frédérique announced this inscription during the opening ceremony of the “Secret Towers of the Himalayas” Photo Exhibit at Sichuan University Museum.

She also clarified that, although the World Monument Fund is the foremost private non-profit organization devoted to on-site conservation of monuments, this inscription is only the first step in the process of making funds and expertise available for the restoration of the towers.
Frederique is confident that the WMF will provide the funding. Money from the Unicorn Foundation could also be made available.
Local governments need to finish locating and numbering every tower in need of restoration work and need to provide as soon as possible an individual budget for each tower.Frederique has already given the local governments the GPS position of many of the towers.Experts from the WMF could, in cooperation with local experts, start surveying the sites as early as November 2005.

The restoration of the towers is only one element in a larger conservation and management plan aiming at the improvement of quality of life of the inhabitants of these remote regions.
Answering Frederique's call for a cooperation of all the stake-holders as well as outside parties, researchers and NGOs, China Volunteers, represented by Quqiang has offered its help in raising some funds or providing volunteers.