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30 Years of World Heritage Conservation - September
2002
Thirty years ago, the world embarked on an ambitious plan to join
hands for the identification and protection of our shared cultural
and natural resources, from the Nubian Temples of Egypt to the Mosque
of Cordoba, from the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu to the Rice
Terraces of the Philippines. The Convention
Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on November 16, 1972.
Since then, the treaty has gone from strength to strength, with more
than 170 signatories and 730 natural and cultural sites are under
international protection.
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In honour of the most important international legal instrument for
the protection of heritage, UNESCO, with the support of the Italian
Government, will hold an international Congress in Venice from November
14 to 16 to reflect on some of the main issues, achievements and challenges
of the World Heritage mission. On the theme of “Shared Legacy,
Common Responsibility”, some 500 experts from around the world
will gather to discuss the evolution of the World Heritage Convention
and consider its role for the future.
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Our heritage is that which we have accumulated from the past, what
we cherish in the present, and what we pass on to future generations
to enjoy. Our heritage embodies our touchstones, our cultural points
of reference, and our identity. The most representative expressions
of this heritage, both natural and cultural, which are considered
to be of “outstanding universal value”, comprise the body
of treasures that the Convention seeks to embrace and defend, to cherish
and protect against the increasing threat of damage in a rapidly developing
world.
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What makes the concept of World Heritage unique is its universal
application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the
world, wherever they are. To be sure, World Heritage properties
are, first and foremost, national heritages, the treasures of the
people who have cared for and nurtured them for generations. But
by placing a site on the
World Heritage List the government and the people of a country
recognise that the site located within their national territory
is part of the heritage of the world, and pledge to maintain, as
best they can, the integrity of the property as a whole. In a sense,
it is their gift to the world. In turn, the international community
as a whole, as represented by more than 175
States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, undertakes
to cooperate in the protection of inscribed sites throughout the
world.
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