The 'Busan Declaration on World Heritage,' which addresses various crises facing world heritage sites, including armed conflicts, climate change, and development pressures, was adopted on July 20.
The Cultural Heritage Administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the declaration was adopted by consensus among member countries during the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
This declaration was led by South Korea, the chair country, with contributions from 21 member countries and experts from the three advisory bodies of the World Heritage Committee: ICCROM, ICOMOS, and IUCN.
The declaration emphasizes the importance of cooperation in responding to complex challenges surrounding world heritage, including armed conflicts, climate change, and development pressures. It proposes adding 'cooperation' as a new strategic goal to the existing five strategic objectives of the World Heritage Convention: credibility, conservation, capacity building, communication, and community. Notably, it also initiates discussions on digital transformation and the associated responsibilities in the field of world heritage.
Additionally, the declaration includes agendas on the importance of 'inclusive interpretation' based on professional insights to responsibly interpret and explain the values of each heritage site, the significance of 'shared responsibility' in world heritage management, and the need for continuous capacity building for site managers in each country, as well as the close interdependence and integrated approach between cultural and natural heritage.
In April, the South Korean government, in collaboration with the UNESCO Korean Committee, conducted a domestic expert public hearing and an international expert video conference, followed by an international expert meeting in Seoul in May to gather extensive opinions. Afterward, the final coordination process among member countries was completed to prepare for the adoption of the declaration.
Meanwhile, the Cultural Heritage Administration plans to pursue follow-up projects to generate more concrete and practical outcomes following the announcement of this declaration.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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