Voices of the pioneers: UNESCO's World Heritage Convention 1972‐2000

Abstract

PurposeIn partnership with UNESCO's Oral Archives Initiative, the authors have set out to capture the voices of those who have played a significant role in the creation and early development of the World Heritage Convention. The recorded interviews with the men and women who were active participants in this early period are designed to supplement the existing literature and voluminous documentation from the statutory and expert meetings. The uniqueness of this World Heritage research project is the important role that the voices of the pioneers will play in illuminating the successes and failures, the struggles and triumphs of the early years. This paper aims to share some of the findings.Design/methodology/approachThe selection of the first group of interviewees has been made on the basis of the importance of the person's involvement in World Heritage matters, age, diversity of interests and geographical distribution. The interviews are structured with specific questions to identify key issues and cases that have affected the development of the World Heritage system. Topics are explored and teased out, adapting to the experience of each interviewee.FindingsTo date, the authors have interviewed 31 participants from all geographical regions of UNESCO. The interviews have created a rich and diverse tapestry of information, concepts and opinions on the early days of the World Heritage Convention. Participants in the project have been generous with their time and passionately candid in their views. In this paper, the authors offer a glimpse into the results of this research by presenting some samples from three interviews.Originality/valueThe interviews provide a unique and original viewpoint on the creation and early implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Preliminary results point to a deeper understanding of the forces that led to the creation of the convention and the leadership role played by certain individuals in transforming these ideas for international cooperation into reality. At the completion of the project, this data set of interviews will be deposited in the UNESCO Archives for consultation by future generations of researchers.

Roadmap for the Nomination of Reconstructed Cultural Properties for Inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List

“…Some experts believe, "the strength of the World Heritage List is that it is composed of both celebratory places and sites with negative associations" [33] (p. 50), because this composition may enhance the inclusive, diverse and universal nature of the WH Convention [34]. "Sites with negative associations" are also known as "dissonant heritage", "difficult heritage", "heritage that hurts", "places of pain and shame", "uncomfortable heritage" and "dark heritage" in scholarly literature [35] (p. 509).…”

“…Inscription on the basis of this criterion means that the property is recognized for its associations [8] (pp. [32][33][34][35]. The cultural significance that underpins its OUV, therefore, necessarily encapsulates values associated primarily with intangible attributes.…”

“…The fact that reconstruction and restoration are "new" or "contemporary" does not inhibit the nomination of reconstructed and restored properties for inscription on the WH List because the definition of OUV in the OG is not limited to ancient or old heritage [3] (paragraph 49). This explains why "recent heritage" can be included in the WH List [33] (p. 49), whether it is original, such as the Sydney Opera House (Australia), or not. In other words, properties can be deemed authentic and culturally significant at an international level whether they are ancient or recent, original or recreated/restored.…”

The development of legal framework for the management of World Heritage Sites in Oman: a case study on Bahla Oasis

“…These conventions form the essential legal instruments adopted and elaborated by local governments to develop their heritage protection legislation at the national level. The WHC is the most significant international heritage conservation agreement, as it influences heritage protection and management in almost all the world (Cameron and Rössler, 2011; Francioni, 2008, pp. 3–19).…”

Wedding cultural heritage and sustainable development: three years after

“…Though, as a whole they provided a critical reflection on the past, present and future of the World Heritage Convention. They unveiled the successes and failures, struggles and triumphs of the early years in the eyes of the pioneers (Cameron and Rössler, 2011); reflections on the development of the Convention, focusing on key stages and World Heritage properties (Von Droste, 2011) and/or their decision-making processes ( Jokilehto, 2011); the embedding in international meetings and agreements related to culture and development (Bandarin et al, 2011); as well as forecasted the future and most urging challenges (Bandarin et al, 2011;Araoz, 2011).…”