Countries Eye a Coveted Cultural Honor
By Ekaterina Strekalova
June 24 -- Three countries are holding their breath while Unesco reviews its nominations for inscription as World Heritage Sites at the 33rd World Heritage Committee session in Seville, Spain, which started on June 22 and ends June 30. The list of sites is to be announced by Saturday, June 27.
The current roster of 878 natural and cultural properties are located in 145 countries. Among the 27 nominated sites this year, only Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and Kyrgyzstan have no previous Unesco designations.
Every year, states parties prepare applications of cultural sites to be considered by Unesco’s International Council on Monuments and Sites and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and later by the World Heritage Committee.
The application is meant to provide evidence of a site’s importance not only for local culture but also of its universal value, said Roni Amelan, a Unesco press officer, in a telephone interview with UNA-USA from Seville.
Preparing the management plan for future preservation of the site is a critical part of the application, a process that “costs money,” Amelan said. This expense prevents many developing countries from participating at all, Amelan added, while developed countries can present a “more convincing” plan based on their abundant expertise and resources.
The organization addresses such underrepresentation by helping developing countries with preparing the management plan. Burkina Faso, for example, was assisted by Unesco, the Africa World Heritage Fund and the government of Norway. Cape Verde received help from Unesco and the Netherlands; Kyrgyzstan was aided by Unesco as well.
World Heritage Site status is a boon for countries in many ways. It raises the awareness in the local community and around the world about the unique cultural value of the property and the importance of its preservation. The designation also provides access to the World Heritage Fund, which is especially crucial for cultural heritage preservation in developing countries.
The fund, which consists of contributions from states parties and numerous other sources, is used to protect the designated sites for future generations and provide emergency assistance to respond to human-made and natural disasters.
 | | A girl paddles along the Lakus river, located in a UNESCO designated biosphere reserve in Bosawas, Nicaragua. Menuka Scetbon-Didi. |
Unesco recognition also attracts tourism, thus enhancing economic development in the area. In 2008, Unesco Heritage Center received the World Tourism Award for its outstanding achievements in the travel industry.
A World Heritage Site designation also introduces strict regulations on the property, which in the US includes the Grand Canyon and Everglades national parks.
“When comes the time for renovating their houses, citizens living in the part of the city recognized by Unesco are faced with more standards to respect than citizens living in the rest of their city,” said Denis Ricard, secretary-general of a Unesco partner group, the Organization of World Heritage Cities, in a phone interview with UNA from Quebec. “The costs of renovations are usually higher, bringing sometimes resentments from these citizens.”
Unesco World Heritage Site Port of the Moon in Bordeaux, for example, is protected by the “Plan de sauvegarde et de mise en valeur de Bordeaux” (roughly, Management plan for preservation of cultural value of Bordeaux area) which regulates interior and exterior of new as well as existing buildings, street signs, lights and public advertisements in the best interest of cultural and historical value of the site.
The agency’s conservation efforts are not limited to cultural heritage. The International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Program meets annually to announce Unesco's World Network of Biosphere Reserves. In May, 22 sites representing special ecosystems and landscapes were added to the list, which now totals 553 sites.
Natural areas sharing significant biological, geological, environmental and cultural resources are often exploited by mass tourism and local communities for economic gain. Unesco biosphere reserve designation, introduced in 1970, provides these areas with a framework to promote conservation and economic development through ecotourism and local community involvement. Biosphere reserves also act as bases for research, assessment and monitoring of the climate and its impact.
Although the US withdrew from Unesco for 19 years, from 1984 to 2004, the largest number of biosphere reserves designated by the agency worldwide – 47 -- are located in America. In 1976, the Aleutian Islands that are part of Alaska were the first biosphere reserves in the US to be designated. This year, the Altaisky Nature Reserve in the Altai Mountains of Russia was added to the list, making the country the second-largest in terms of Unesco biosphere reserves, with 44 sites.
Conservation of designated property is particularly challenging given the effects of global warming. Many sites are located on environmentally vulnerable islands. The Galápagos Islands New Zealand sub-Antarctic Islands and Brazilian Atlantic Islands are just some of World Heritage sites with significant marine components.
The organization drafted a strategy in 2007 to address climate change and carries out numerous conservation policies and programs aimed at reducing the effects of global warming.
Link to the interactive map of UNESCO World Heritage properties http://whc.unesco.org/en/254/
To see documentaries on UNESCO World Heritage sites go to http://www.unesco.org/en/nhk-video/
Ekaterina Strekalova is an intern in the publications department and a Ph.D candidate in early-childhood education at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
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