The challenges facing
heritage preservation as UNESCO celebrates the 40th anniversary of the World
Heritage Convention were the focus of the opening of the 36th session of the
World Heritage Committee. The session started Sunday in St Petersburg and will
continue until 6 July.
The Chairperson of the
World Heritage Committee, Eleonora Valentinovna Mitrofanova, welcomed the
participants pleading for the credibility of the World Heritage Convention. “We
must keep in mind the indisputable reality that the outstanding universal value
of World Heritage sites is based on local values, local experience and most
importantly on local conservation efforts. In one word, local and indigenous
peoples are the key actors who make this global heritage possible,” she said.
The Director-General of
UNESCO, Irina Bokova, for her part highlighted the growing challenges of
preserving World Heritage sites in the face of growing pressures. “The
credibility of the inscription process must be absolute at all stages, States
Parties hold the primary responsibility in this regard,” stressed Irina Bokova.
The Director-General
spoke of the “revolutionary idea” which made up the World Heritage Convention
which “for 40 years has sketched out a new map of the world – a map of peace, a
network for cultural exchanges that takes in close to 1,000 sites across the
world.”
Recalling the principles
of scientific excellence and impartiality in the process of inscribing new
sites, Ms Bokova called on all involved “to act and think as visionaries to
rejuvenate the World Heritage Convention and confront the challenges of the
21st century,” notably, those of sustainable development and peace-building.
The Culture Minister of
the Russian Federation, Vladimir Medinsky, underscored the challenges faced by
the destruction of traditional values that are embedded in the preservation of
cultural heritage in the age of globalization, “the world is at once united and
divided,” said the Culture Minister, emphasizing the importance of cultural
heritage to foster exchange amongst peoples.
The opening ceremony
took place in the presence of Alissandra Cummins, Chairperson of UNESCO’s
Executive Boardand the Governor of St Petersburg,
Georgiy Poltavchenko. The ceremony ended with a rousing call in favour of
heritage preservation by the youth representatives from the UNESCO Associated
Schools in Russia.
UNESCO/F. Bandarin - Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg
