4 and 8 July, Hiroshima, Japan. The 2011 Session of the UNITAR Series on the Management and Conservation of World Heritage Sites was held in Hiroshima, Japan between July 4 and 8. The Session saw some 30 heritage experts representing 19 countries visit Hiroshima to engage in capacity building in regards to UNESCO's recently released Preparing World Heritage Nominations Manual. Resource Persons included those from UNESCO, ICOMOS, the IUCN and UNITAR.

The 2011 Session:

PREPARING WORLD HERITAGE NOMINATIONS: UNESCO’s NEW MANUAL

With the release by UNESCO of the new Preparing World Heritage Nominations Manual in 2011, site managers and those tasked with conserving and managing the worlds most precious places have a new tool with which to guide them in their task. The 2011 Workshop of the UNITAR Series examined the impact of the new manual on preparing nominations and the related issues of management, decision making and policy formulation.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AS A KEY ELEMENT IN NOMINATIONS

In addition, through discussion with practitioners and experts related to the field, the area of Comparative Analysis of sites in the nomination process had been highlighted as a major challenge in the preparation of many nominations, and one in which UNITAR’s unique training methodologies and approach to World Heritage Management would be particularly beneficial. As such, and in order to underscore the importance of the Nominations Manual, the primary practical focus of the Workshop was Comparative Analysis.

The Series to Date:

The UNITAR Series on the Management and Conservation of World Heritage Sites, launched in 2003, has thus far comprised seven annual Workshops held in Hiroshima and one in-country Workshop in India. The Series, with over 300 Alumni to date, offers a set of innovative approaches to heritage conservation, including:

  • A values-based management approach examining the significance of the properties to be conserved;
  • The fusion of cultural and natural heritage management;
  • The recognition of both the tangible and intangible aspects of heritage values; and
  • Recognition of the enduring theme of Conservation for Peace.

Uniquely well-placed in Hiroshima, which possesses two World Heritage Sites, the Series seeks to utilize UNESCO’s Convention concerning the Protection of the Worlds Cultural and Natural Heritage more effectively by focusing on national policy making and planning, and on exchanging know-how on best practices and case studies.

The Series has to date achieved a degree of thematic development with each subsequent Session alluding to its forebears while also adapting to participant evaluations and changes in the global approach and understanding of heritage management.

 

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