2015 World Heritage and Sustainable Development Policy

On 19 November 2015, the 20th General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention adopted a Policy on the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the Convention.

The overall goal of the policy is to assist States Parties, practitioners, institutions, communities and networks, through appropriate guidance, to harness the potential of World Heritage properties and heritage in general, to contribute to sustainable development and therefore increase the effectiveness and relevance of the Convention whilst respecting its primary purpose and mandate of protecting the Outstanding Universal value of World Heritage properties.

In line with the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, adopted  by the UN General Assembly, this  policy revolves around the three dimensions of sustainable development, namely environmental sustainability, inclusive social development and inclusive economic development, complemented by the fostering of peace and security. Its adoption represents a significant shift in the implementation of the Convention and an important step in its history.

Source(s): https://whc.unesco.org/en/sustainabledevelopment/