On June 2nd, 2011, Bai Chunli, President of CAS, signed an agreement
establishing the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and
Cultural Heritage (HIST) on behalf of the Chinese Government. This is the first
centre established by UNESCO applying space technologies to monitor and
conserve UNESCO Natural and Cultural World Heritage Sites. It is also the first
agency under the auspices of UNESCO to be hosted by CAS. Irina Bokova,
Director-General of UNESCO, had previously signed the agreement on behalf of
UNESCO on May 27th.
More and more attention has been paid to the application of space
technologies to the monitoring and conversation of world heritage sites. As the
leading international organization responsible for World Heritage Sites, UNESCO
started the “Open Initiative on the Use of Space Technologies to Support the
World Heritage Convention” in collaboration with the European Space Agency in
2001. In the same year, the Joint Laboratory of Remote Sensing for Archaeology
(JLRSA), affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Ministry of
Education, and the China State Administration of Cultural Relics, was
officially established and joined the Open Initiative as a partner in 2005.
Based on years of work, CAS made a proposal to UNESCO in May 2007 to
establish HIST in Beijing. The feedback from UNESCO was positive and a
feasibility study was conducted. Then in April 2008, the feasibility report on
establishing HIST went through the examination of the 179th Session of the
UNESCO Executive Board, was finally approved by the 35th General Conference of
UNESCO in October 2009, and was officially ratified by the State Council of
China in April 2011.
HIST is hosted by Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences. AIR can provide important technical
support to UNESCO by taking advantage of its Earth observation capacities and
professional resources. The establishment of the centre will contribute greatly
to the study of world heritage, global climate change, natural disasters and
biosphere reserves. It will also be of great help in building the capacity of
Chinese scientists in related fields.
HIST plans to hold its first session of the Committee of Chinese
Experts in late June 2011, and then the first session of the Governing Board
and the Inauguration Ceremony in late July 2011.
Bai Chunli, President of CAS, signs the
agreement on behalf of the Chinese Government Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, signs the agreement on behalf of
UNESCO
Irina Bokova, (right), Director-General of UNESCO, and SHI Shuyun, (left), China Ambassador for UNESCO
