UNESCO Clearinghouse on GCED

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World Heritage, No.104 Year of publication: 2023 Corporate author: UNESCO As the extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee begins in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we express our gratitude to our hosts for convening the first in-person Committee since the onset of COVID-19. Surrounded by old friends and young professionals alike, we are reminded that this meeting is more than the sum of important decisions taken. It is a powerful platform where we rekindle the sense of ‘heritage community’ and renew our commitment to heritage. This issue of World Heritage magazine features African heritage leaders who are empowering peers and creating positive ripple effects from Egypt to Mozambique. A report on climate change details the critical benefits provided by World Heritage forests notably through carbon absorption, with one caveat – their capacity will continue to decline unless we act now. A compelling story comes from Havana, Cuba, where a major UNESCO programme Transcultura is blending tangible heritage, intangible practices and contemporary creativity, true to the way culture intersects in the local communities. Readers may notice the new design of this World Heritage magazine, which pays homage to the original iconic look. The first issue in 1996 put a spotlight on the accelerating international cooperation to conserve Angkor, bearing fruit in 2004 with the removal from the List of World Heritage in Danger. Just as the magazine has been a witness to history, it continues to champion the evolving principles of heritage safeguarding. This is why this revamped magazine will centrally feature stories of custodians, innovators and trailblazers, in line with the 'fifth C' (Communities) of the Strategic Objectives. The words by the 80-year-old Havana resident Noemí Moreno should echo with many of us: 'In the end, we are nothing more than a bird that comes and flies away. History is what remains'. And so we get to work together, pooling experience gained over the past five decades of the 1972 Convention and the ancestral knowledge passed down over centuries, to preserve the remnants of history as best as we can.

Urban heritage for resilience: consolidated results of the implementation of the 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape; 3rd Member States Consultation Year of publication: 2023 Corporate author: UNESCO <Short summary>Integrating heritage conservation with urban development plans: fosters inclusive and sustainable local development Urban heritage, including its tangible and intangible attributes, constitutes a key resource in enhancing the liveability of urban areas and fosters economic development and social cohesion in a changing global environment. The UNESCO 2011 Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape has contributed towards promoting a holistic approach to managing historic urban areas. The third Member States consultation on the implementation of the 2011 Recommendation conducted between June to November 2022 emphasizes both the importance and the urgency of integrating heritage conservation with urban development plans, disaster risk reduction and climate action at the local level.The report covered six thematic areas of implementation that captured the key principles of the 2011 Recommendation in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the mapping and inventorying of heritage values and attributes, governance mechanisms, laws, regulations, and planning tools to protect these different attributes, inclusive and participatory decision-making, equitable economic development, the impacts of climate change, and the use of digital technologies for managing urban heritage including capacity building.The publication includes key recommendations emerging from consultations with international experts, exchanging innovative practices, developing guidance, tools, and initiatives, notably on planning, civic engagement, regulatory frameworks and financial mechanisms and management to support the implementation of the 2011 Recommendation.

Saving our world heritage Year of publication: 2023 Author: Hopkinson, Leo Corporate author: UNESCO

From Angola to Zimbabwe: remarkable heritage of Southern Africa Year of publication: 2022 Corporate author: UNESCO Harare | African World Heritage Fund A celebration of Southern Africa’s rich and diverse heritageToday, Southern Africa’s diverse heritage faces a rising number of challenges which need to be addressed, including climate change, natural disasters, conflicts, urban development and tourism pressures. The region currently has 42 World Heritage sites and 24 Living Heritage elements inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, making it a vibrantly rich home to cultural diversity and human creativity. However, more work needs to be done to further recognize the value of Southern Africa’s multifaceted heritage and enhance its protection in the face of increasing threats.World Heritage sites in the region continue to play an essential role in the lives of the communities who live in and around them, as they constitute a source of pride, history and knowledge, a powerful driver of local economic development, and a vital resource for reconciliation, social integration and sustainable peace. Similarly, Southern Africa’s living heritage elements provide communities with a strong sense of identity and help create a favorable environment for nurturing cultural diversity and human creativity.Inviting you on a journey of discovery from Angola’s Mbanza Kongo to Zimbabwe’s Mbende Jerusarema dance, this publication provides a new outlook on the exceptional heritage that can be found in the countries of the Southern African Development Community region and emphasizes the need for its long-term protection and safeguarding as a shared responsibility.

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