The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) encourages the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory in which they are located.
There are 851 World Heritage sites inscribed on the UNESCO list, from the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan to the Matobo Hills in Zimbabwe. World Heritage sites benefit from an increase in protection, in public awareness, and from the economic benefits associated with cultural tourism.
The UK has won an international reputation for the management of its World Heritage sites which range from the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Heritage in the South West of England to the Heart of Neolithic Orkney in the North of Scotland, and include the City of Bath, Canterbury Cathedral and Stonehenge, and the Jurassic Coast of Dorset.
With the aid of leading UK experts, this seminar will explore strategies for developing, managing and protecting World Heritage sites, drawing on the expertise developed in the UK and looking at three specific case studies of World Heritage sites: the Old and New Town of Edinburgh, the 18th century cotton mill village of New Lanark and the Roman frontier of Hadrian's Wall.
The topics covered will include:
- the role of the World Heritage convention and the significance of World Heritage sites
- the Tentative List process
- the benefits of World Heritage status
- developing a management plan
- balancing the need for conservation with the demand for public access
- new buildings in World Heritage sites
- working with the community
- developing cultural tourism
- protection and sustainability.
This seminar is run in partnership with the UK National Commission for UNESCO and is co-directed by Ms Jane Weeks, a museum and heritage consultant specialising in strategic planning, project management and income generation, and Professor Peter Stone, Director of the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies at Newcastle University, and a member of the Culture Committee of the UK National Commission for UNESCO.
This seminar will be of interest to senior professionals in the cultural heritage sector and government officials with responsibility for the historic environment, those managing World Heritage sites and those planning to submit a site for World Heritage status.
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