Report of the Expert Group on Cultural Landscapes
La Petite Pierre (France) 24-26 October 1992
I. Introduction
1. The meeting was organized jointly by the UNESCO World Heritage
Centre and ICOMOS at the request of the World Heritage
Committee.
2. The object of the meeting was to study the criteria necessary
for the inclusion of cultural landscapes on the World Heritage
List and to prepare recommendations for submission to the
Committee at its sixteenth session, to be held at Santa Fé
(USA) on 7 - 14 December 1992.
3. The meeting was held in the house of the Parc Naturel Régional
des Vosges du Nord, La Petite Pierre, by invitation of the
French Government (Ministry of the Environment), State Party
to the Convention.
4. The meeting was attended by experts from eight States Parties
(Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, New Zealand, Sri
Lanka and the United Kingdom) selected for their expertise in
the fields covered by the term "cultural landscape", including
archaeology, history, landscape ecology, geography, landscape
architecture and planning. Representatives of the UNESCO World
Heritage Centre and the two relevant nongovernmental
organizations (ICOMOS and IUCN) also took part in the meeting
as well as representatives of IFLA. The full list of
participants is annexed to this report.
5. The expert group studied the operational guidelines in detail
and considered that only slight changes of the six cultural
criteria were needed to accommodate the inclusion of cultural
landscapes on the World Heritage List. This report consists of
two main sections. The first contains proposed amendments to
the six existing criteria for cultural properties (Guidelines,
paragraph 24 (a)) with supporting explanatory notes.
The second section contains recommendations for interpretative
paragraphs relating to cultural landscapes, to replace the
existing paragraph 34.
(Note: The substance of this paragraph will have to be in part
retained in a new paragraph, since guidelines for traditional
villages and contemporary architecture (and also industrial
heritage) remain to be prepared).
*[3]
II. Revision of the criteria for cultural properties in the
Operational Guidelines
Paragraph 24. (a)
(i) represent a unique artistic achievement, a masterpiece of
the creative genius; or
(ii) have exerted great influence, over a span of time or
within a cultural area of the world, on developments in
architecture, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape
design; or
(iii) bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a
civilization or cultural tradition which has disappeared;
or
(iv) be an outstanding example of a type of building or
architectural ensemble or landscape which illustrates
significant stages in human history; or
(v) be an outstanding example of traditional human settlement
or land use which is representative of a culture (or
cultures), especially when it has become vulnerable under
the impact of irreversible change; or
(vi) be directly and tangibly associated with events or living
traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic
and literary works of outstanding universal significance
(the Committee considers that this criterion should
justify inclusion on the List only in exceptional
circumstance or in conjunction with other criteria);
Paragraph 24. (b)
(i) meet the test of authenticity in design, material,
workmanship or setting and in the case of cultural
landscapes their distinctive character and components
(the Committee stressed that reconstruction is only
acceptable if it is carried out on the basis of complete
and detailed documentation on the original and to no
extent on conjecture).
(ii) have adequate legal and/or traditional protection and
management mechanisms to ensure the conservation of the
nominated cultural property. The existence of protective
legislation at the national, provincial or municipal
level or well-established traditional protection is
therefore essential and must be stated clearly on the
nomination form. Assurances of the effective
implementation of these laws are also expected.
Furthermore, in order to preserve the integrity of
cultural sites, particularly those open to large numbers
of visitors, the State Party concerned should be able to
provide evidence of suitable administrative arrangements
to cover the management of the property, its conservation
and its accessibility to the public.
*[4]
Explanatory notes for the revised criteria
(i) For all six criteria the expert group recommended the
deletion of the underlining as it serves no particular
purpose.
(ii) The expert group preferred to use the term "landscape
design". In the French version this is correctly
translated as "construction des paysages".
(iii) The phrase "a cultural tradition" was added as this
criterion is culturally more neutral. It was considered
that a group of people can disappear but that their
cultural tradition can be assimilated by the dominant
civilization which survives.
(iv) It was considered that this modification would avoid the
adoption of a linear view of history.
(v) By adding "or cultures" the expert group emphasized the
existence at times of multi-layered landscapes where
several cultures are superimposed.
(vi) The group emphasized cultural continuity and the survival
of traditions. The concept of associative values was
broadened.
III. Paragraph 34 will be exchanged for the following new
paragraphs:
(34) With respect to cultural landscapes, the Committee has
furthermore adopted the following guidelines concerning
their inclusion on the World Heritage List.
(35) Cultural landscapes represent the "combined works of
nature and of man" designated in Article 1 of the
Convention. They are illustrative of the evolution of
human society and settlement over time, under the
influence of the physical constraints and/or
opportunities presented by their natural environment and
of successive social, economic and cultural forces, both
external and internal. They should be selected on the
basis both of their outstanding universal value and of
their representativity in terms of a clearly defined geo-
cultural region and also for their capacity to illustrate
the essential and distinct cultural elements of such
regions.
(36) The term "cultural landscape" embraces a diversity of
manifestations of the interaction between humankind and
its natural environment.
(37) The most easily identifiable is the clearly defined
landscape designed and created intentionally by man.
This embraces garden and parkland landscapes constructed
for aesthetic reasons which are often (but not always)
associated with religious or other monumental buildings
and ensembles.
(38) The second category is the organically evolved
landscape. This results from an initial social,
economic, administrative, and/or religious imperative and
has developed its present form by association with and in
response to its natural environment. Such landscapes
reflect that process of evolution in their form and
component features. They fall into two subcategories.
*[5]
(39) A relict (or fossil) landscape is one in which an
evolutionary process came to an end at some time in the
past, either abruptly or over a period. Its significant
distinguishing features are, however, still visible in
material form.
(40) A continuing landscape is one which retains an
active social role in contemporary society closely
associated with the traditional way of life, and in which
the evolutionary process is still in progress. At the
same time it exhibits significant material evidence of
its evolution over time.
(41) The final category is the associative cultural
landscape. The inclusion of such landscapes on the
World Heritage List is justifiable by virtue of the
powerful religious, artistic or cultural associations of
the natural element rather than material cultural
evidence, which may be insignificant or even absent.
(42) The extent of a cultural landscape for inclusion on the
World Heritage List is relative to its functionality and
intelligibility. In any case, the sample selected must be
substantial enough adequately to represent the totality
of the cultural landscape that it illustrates. The
possibility of designating long linear areas which
represent culturally significant transport and
communication networks should not be excluded.
(43) The general criteria for conservation and management laid
down in paragraph 24.(b). ii above are equally applicable
to cultural landscapes. It is important that due weight
be paid to the full range of values represented in the
landscape, both cultural and natural. The nominations
should be prepared in collaboration with and the full
approval of local communities.
(44) The existence of a category of "cultural landscape",
included on the World Heritage List on the basis of the
criteria set out in paragraph 24 above, does not exclude
the possibility of sites of exceptional importance in
relation to both cultural and natural criteria continuing
to be included. In such cases, their outstanding
universal significance must be justified under both sets
of criteria.
October 1992
ANNEX I
List of participants: Expert Meeting on Cultural Landscapes (23 -26
October 1992) ( La Petite Pierre)
Europe
Prof. Haber
Lehrstuhl für Landschaftsökologie
TU München
8050 Freising
Tel: 8161-713495
Fax: 49-8161-714427
M. Hans Dorn (IFLA)
Holbainstr. 17
6000 Frankfurt
Fax. 49-69 61 64 49
Prof. David Jaques (ICOMOS landscapes group, GB)
16 Kenyon Mansions
Queens Club Gardens
London W14
Fax: 19-44-71 973 36 70
Prof. P.J. Fowler
Department of Archeology
University
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU
England
Dr. Henry Cleere (ICOMOS, GB)
Acres Rise
Lower Platts
Ticehurst
Wadhurst
TN57DD, England
Tel & Fax: 0580-200752
M. Lucien Chabasson
Président du Parc des Cévennes
31, rue Gazan
75014 Paris
M. Pierre-Marie Tricaut (French delegate to IFLA)
Institut d'Aménagement et d'Urbanisme
de la région Ile de France
251 rue de Vaugirard
75015 Paris
Tel: 40 43 01 02
*[ANNEX I/2]
America and Canada
Hs Susan Buggey
Directeur
Direction de l'histoire de l'architecture
Environnement Canada, Service des Parcs
Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
Hull, Quebec
K1A OH3 Canada
Fax: 819-953-4909
Australia, New Zealand, Oceania
M. Bing Lucas (IUCN)
President of the National Parc Commission
1/268 Main Road
TAWA
Wellington
New Zealand
Tel: 64.4.232 6681
Fax: 64.4.232 9129
Prof. Isabel McBryde
Department of Archeology and Anthropology
The Faculty
Australian National University
GPO Box 4
Canberra 2601, Australia
Tel: 62-6-2494395
Fax: 62-6-2492711
Hs Sarah Titchen
Department of Prehistory
The Faculty
Australian National University
GPO Box 4
Canberra 2601, Australia
Tel: 62-6-2494395
Fax: 62-6-2492711
Asia
Prof. Senaka Bandaransyake
Institut of Archeology, PGIAR
P.O. Box 1531
212/1 Bauddhaloka Mawathe
Colombo 7
Sri Lanka
Fax: 94-1-500731
*[ANNEX I/3]
Host and local organizers:
M. François Letourneux
M. Alain Megret
M, Jean-Louis Pons
M. Regis Ambroises
Ministère de l'environnement
Direction de la nature et des paysages
14, bd du Général Leclerc
92524 Neuilly-sur-Seine Cedex
Tel: 40.81.21.22
Fax: 40.81.99.53
UNESCO World Heritage Centre
H. Saïd Zulficar
Hs Mechtild Rössler
7, place de Fontenoy
75700 Paris
Fax: (1) 40.65.98.97
Assisting:
Ms Regina Durighello
ICOMOS
75, rue du Temple
75003 Paris
Tel: 42.77.35.76
Fax: 42.77.57.42
*[EOF]