UNPACKING THE MEANING OF UNESCO CULTURAL HERITAGE: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
If you’ve heard the term ‘UNESCO Cultural Heritage’ being thrown around, you might be wondering what it means. UNESCO or the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was established in 1945 with an aim to promote peace and security through international cooperation in education, sciences, and culture.
Today, UNESCO is known for its World Heritage program that lists sites of cultural and natural importance on a global level for their historical, scientific, aesthetic, and cultural significance. But what exactly is UNESCO Cultural Heritage, and how does it get recognized? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deeper into the meaning of UNESCO Cultural Heritage and share insights on what it involves.
UNESCO AND CULTURAL HERITAGE
Cultural Heritage is a combination of tangible and intangible assets that have historical, scientific, social, and cultural importance. It includes everything from historic sites, monuments, and buildings to oral traditions, performing arts, and cultural practices. These assets are unique and irreplaceable, and preserving them helps promote a sense of identity, unity, and resilience within a community.
UNESCO recognizes the importance of safeguarding these cultural heritage sites and traditions and has established various programs and conventions to achieve that. The organization has six cultural heritage conventions that cover various aspects of preserving and promoting cultural heritage.
The first is the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict that aims to protect cultural property during times of war. The second is the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. This convention seeks to prevent the illicit trade of cultural property that is stolen or illegally exported. The third is the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage that established the World Heritage program as we know it today.
The fourth is the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. This convention recognizes the importance of intangible cultural heritage and aims to protect it through various measures. The fifth is the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions that promotes diversity in cultural expressions and supports the vitality of cultural sectors. Finally, the 2015 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage aims to protect underwater cultural heritage sites.
UNESCO CULTURAL HERITAGE AND THE WORLD HERITAGE PROGRAM
Out of all these conventions, the World Heritage program is the most well-known and recognized. It was established in 1972 and has listed over 1000 cultural and natural sites across the world to the World Heritage List.
To be recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, a site must meet certain criteria like being of outstanding universal value, having unique physical or cultural characteristics, or being an exceptional example of a cultural tradition or living civilization. Nominations for UNESCO World Heritage sites must also demonstrate that they have been conserved and maintained well to be enlisted.
When a site is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s not just an honor or a title. It’s a commitment that the site and the country will work together to protect and preserve it for future generations. UNESCO also provides technical support and funds to these sites to promote their conservation and sustainable development.
CONCLUSION
UNESCO Cultural Heritage is vast and diverse, covering a range of tangible and intangible cultural assets that have global significance. The organization has established various conventions and programs to promote the protection and preservation of these assets. The most well-known of these is the World Heritage program that has enlisted over a thousand sites across the world. These sites are not only recognized for their significance but are committed to the conservation and protection of their heritage.
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