UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention and Global Governance

Abstract

The World Heritage Convention is increasingly exposed to criticism mainly due to its “infection by politics”. The transforming dynamics of the World Heritage system reflect broader transformations in global governance. As an international organization, UNESCO does not escape the continuous weakening of multilateralism. States parties to the 1972 convention are getting used to dealing with it mainly as a proxy for power and international conflict (Meskell). The global narrative of World Heritage is slowly being corrupted. The authors argue that in order to understand developments in the World Heritage system we need to acquire a broader perception of the transformations in international relations, and to make the best use of the still emerging concept of global governance.