Biennial sectoral priority 1: Protecting and promoting heritage and cultural expressions

04043     The protection, conservation, safeguarding and promotion of heritage and cultural expressions in all their forms, from cultural and natural heritage, and underwater cultural heritage, to living heritage and the cultural industries, will remain a key priority of the Programme, focused on emphasizing culture and cultural diversity as fundamental components of sustainable development, dialogue and a culture of peace and non-violence.

04044      In addition to their contribution to this biennial sectoral priority, each of the four MLAs will contribute, through operational projects demonstrating the pivotal role of cultural heritage and cultural expressions in sustainable development, to the achievement of the expected results under the two transversal MLAs in biennial priority 2 and therefore to the overarching objective of the Organization’s Medium Term Strategy for 2008-2013.

Main line of action 1: Protecting and conserving cultural and natural heritage through the effective implementation of the 1972 Convention

04045      The World Heritage Centre will continue to implement the key priorities adopted by the World Heritage Committee and the General Assembly of States Parties, since they contribute to achieving the strategic programme objectives of the Medium-Term Strategy for 2008-2013 (34 C/4), namely “Strengthening the contribution of culture to sustainable development”, “Sustainably protecting and enhancing cultural heritage”, “Contributing to disaster preparedness and mitigation” and “Support to countries in postconflict situations”. These efforts also contribute to achieving MDG No.1 “Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger” and MDG No.7 “Ensure environmental sustainability”, and will be undertaken through measures that “Develop a global partnership for Development” (MDG No.8), particularly in respect of the least developed countries and small island developing States.

04046      Therefore, action will be undertaken within the framework of the five “Cs” or strategic objectives (credibility, conservation, capacity-building, communication (including awareness-raising) and communities) established by the World Heritage Committee, in order to promote heritage conservation as a key vector for sustainable development, and to manage the rapidly growing forces of tourism, urbanization and climate change so as to achieve sustainable development, social cohesion, dialogue and peace.

04047      Action to promote under-represented regions and categories of heritage will be pursued, including cooperation between States Parties in the preparation of transnational nominations, as a direct contribution to dialogue, as well as by helping States Parties to build institutional and individual capacities. For this purpose, training workshops will be held and collaboration will be undertaken with the growing network of category 2 centres. The various processes of the 1972 Convention will continue to be integrated into a comprehensive information and knowledge management system for greater efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of the Convention.

04048      Action to promote heritage conservation as a key driver for sustainable development, and to manage the forces of tourism, urbanization and climate change, as well as to promote social cohesion, dialogue and peace will be actively pursued. Special attention will be given to supporting greater involvement of local and indigenous communities, youth and women in heritage protection. Particular attention will be given to providing policy advice and guidelines on sustainable tourism and to developing programmes for a sustainable heritage use. Hence, the results of MLA 1 will contribute to those related to the promotion of cities and tourism as vectors for sustainable development (MLA 5), and to the role of youth in contributing to dialogue and regional integration (MLA 6). Cooperation and coordination with other Conventions and programmes will be reinforced, including through the relevant intersectoral platforms. Particular attention will be given to providing policy orientations and guidelines on tourism management and in general to developing programmes for a sustainable use of heritage.

04049      With regard to post-conflict and post-natural disaster countries, efforts will be made to target assistance specifically to the countries affected, by taking cultural factors into account in reconciliation and reconstruction processes under initiatives launched by the United Nations. The network of partners will also be expanded to civil society organizations, including the private sector. The biennium will include the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention and the adoption of reforms to the statutory processes arising from the reflections on the “future” of the World Heritage Convention begun in the previous biennium. With a view to increasing awareness about heritage protection and conservation, the sharing of information and knowledge with public and civil society partners will be enhanced through the website and targeted publications, including the World Heritage Review.

Main line of action 2: Enhancing the protection of cultural property and fighting against traffic in cultural property through the effective implementation of the 1954, 1970 and 2001 Conventions

04050     Actions will be aimed at achieving the strategic programme objectives of the Medium-Term Strategy for 2008-2013 (34 C/4) with a particular emphasis on: strengthening the contribution of culture to sustainable development; sustainably protecting and enhancing cultural heritage; and providing support to countries in post-conflict situations and post-disaster situations. Actions will take into account the specific needs of all community members and support their active participation in the design, planning, implementation and monitoring of the projects.

04051     They will principally focus on protecting and conserving cultural property and objects under the related 1954 (and its two Protocols), 1970 and 2001 Conventions. A particular accent will be placed on creating synergies among those instruments in their implementation; development of capacity-building and awareness-raising, with particular focus on African Member States and gender equality (see boxes on Global Priorities); providing support to the respective intergovernmental committees linked to those Conventions and the implementation of their decisions and recommendations; maintenance and wide dissemination of the List of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection under the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention and encouragement of States Parties to the Second Protocol to submit requests for the granting of enhanced protection, particularly with regard to Africa, in order to achieve a diversified and balanced List; organization of training seminars on the above instruments for target groups such as civil servants, cultural heritage professionals, law-enforcement agencies or the military while ensuring an approach based on gender equality; closer coordination of activities with other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned such as INTERPOL, the World Customs Organization, ICOM or ICOMOS; technical support and expertise to Member States with regard to the national implementation of their heritage laws as well as maintaining and updating the UNESCO Cultural Laws Database; the development of museum activities in LDCs, Africa and countries in emergency situations, designing educational contents and pedagogical tools to reach new audiences, especially youth, and awareness-raising about the need to protect cultural property.

04052     Expected results from MLA 2 will contribute directly to those in MLAs 5 and 6 by providing legal tools to strengthen the role of culture in sustainable development, its integration in international development policies and within the United Nations system. In particular, such contribution will have a direct impact on social cohesion (MLA 5); and forging links between the fight against the illicit traffic in cultural property and the programme “Heritage and Dialogue” (MLA 6).

Main line of action 3: Safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage through the effective implementation of the 2003 Convention

04053     Awareness of the importance of safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage at the national level will be strengthened by illustrating, in particular, the way in which the intangible heritage actually contributes to sustainable development, intercultural dialogue and social cohesion, all targeted in MLAs 5 and 6. Accordingly, efforts to share information through the information and knowledge management system with a broader selection of stakeholders will be continued. Furthermore, existing complementary links between the intangible heritage and other forms of heritage will be clarified. Intersectoral action will be strengthened in order to reach young people through education and the new communication media. Cooperation with the natural sciences, too, will be strengthened, in particular under the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) and the Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) programmes.

04054     Efforts will be pursued to ensure the effective functioning of the Convention’s statutory bodies, which will make it possible to discuss strategic issues relating to the challenges facing the Convention and to carry out the tasks required to compile the Urgent Safeguarding List, the Representative List and the Register of Best Practices, and to grant international assistance. Special attention will thus be paid to developing countries, in particular African countries, LDCs and SIDS in all stages of the work.

04055     While pursuing additional ratifications, particular focus will be placed on building capacities in Member States in order to strengthen implementation of the Convention at the national level, with particular regard to the identification of intangible cultural heritage and to the legislative and administrative safeguarding framework to be put in place. Special attention will be paid in that regard to the role of women and young people, to whom training will be provided as a priority in order to enhance their involvement in all safeguarding activities. The collection, analysis and dissemination of best practices will continue to be a main area of action.

04056     Large-scale communication activities will also be continued under appropriate partnerships in order to ensure that the intangible cultural heritage is understood, known and appreciated in particular, by young people, as its transmission depends primarily upon their interest in it, and by women, who play a crucial transmission role.

Main line of action 4: Sustaining and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions through the effective implementation of the 2005 Convention

04057     As UNESCO’s most recent standard-setting instrument in the field of culture, the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions is recognized as providing an international framework for the governance and management of culture in the twenty-first century. It aims to ensure that artists, cultural professionals and citizens worldwide can create, produce, disseminate, enjoy and have access to a diversity of cultural goods, services and activities, including their own.

04058     The operational phase initiated in the previous biennium with the launch of the pilot phase of the International Fund for Cultural Diversity and the drafting of operational guidelines that serve as a roadmap for the implementation of the Convention at all levels of governance will be further developed.

04059     While continuing activities to ensure the effective functioning of the Convention’s statutory bodies, and to raise awareness of the Convention through the implementation of an integrated communication strategy, action during this biennium will be focused on ensuring capacity-building and clearinghouse functions. This plan of action is to be achieved in cooperation with the diversity of Convention stakeholders from the public, private and civil society sectors.

04060     In terms of capacity-building, technical assistance will provide developing countries with expertise to build up legal, institutional and human capacities to strengthen the cultural sector and the cultural industries as a means to promote sustainable development, economic growth and social cohesion. The creation of methodologies and the dissemination of tools to collect data and information for policymaking purposes will contribute directly to capacity-building activities and to the implementation of a gender equality-based policy agenda.

04061     Effective support is to be given to the collection, analysis and distribution of information, data and best practices on measures Parties have taken to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions. UNESCO’s clearing-house function will be facilitated through the development and implementation of an online knowledge-management system. The goal is to ensure the inclusion of resources from different regions and subregions of the world as well as to facilitate increased access to these sources.

04062     The successful management of operational activities that can illustrate and strengthen the implementation of the Convention will continue. This includes the Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity that aims to foster public-private partnerships in the cultural industries for development.

04063     Expected Results from MLA 4 will contribute directly to those in MLA 5 that promote the role of culture in development at the global, regional and national level, in particular those that support the integration of culture in development policies and programmes, advocacy, outreach and monitoring activities and operational projects that produce evidence for policy-making.