Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Korea to UNESCO

Preservation and Protection of World Heritage

Summary

• An international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by UNESCO in 1972 to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world.
• UNESCO coordinates actions of its partners by administering the World Heritage Convention (1972) in order to discover world heritage that is worth being preserved, to protect it, and to improve it.

Main conventions and institutions

World Heritage Convention

• Official name: Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
• Adopted on November 23, 1972; entered into force on December 17, 1975
• To date (as of Jun 10, 2010), 187 States Parties have adhered to the Convention
  • Republic of Korea entered into State Parties in September 1988 with effect from December, 1988.

the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention meets during the sessions of the General Conference of UNESCO.

• Functions :
  • Determine the uniform percentage of contributions to the World Heritage Fund applicable to all States Parties
  • Elects new members to the World Heritage Committee to replace the outgoing members
  • receive a report from the World Heritage Committee on its activities

World Heritage Committee

• The World Heritage Committee meets once a year, and consists of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention elected by their General Assembly in every June or July. A Committee member's term of office is for six years.
• Function: The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties

World Heritage Center

• Established in 1992, the World Heritage Centre is the focal point and coordinator within UNESCO for all matters related to World Heritage.

Registration of documentary heritage(Memory of the World)

Summary

UNESCO has launched the Memory of the World Programme to guard against collective amnesia calling upon the preservation of the valuable archive holdings and library collections all over the world ensuring their wide dissemination.

Legal Basis

General Guideline to Safeguard Documentary Heritage was adopted in 1995 at the General Conference of UNESCO. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001256/125637e.pdf

Definition of documentary heritage

• The Memory of the World is the documented, collective memory of the peoples of the world – their documentary heritage – which in turn represents a large proportion of the world’s cultural heritage
• Types
  • Textual items such as manuscripts, books, newspapers, posters, etc
  • non-textual items such as drawings, prints, maps, music
  • Audiovisual items such as films, discs, tapes and photograph
  • Virtual documents such as websites reside on servers

Selection criteria for the Memory of the World Register

• Authenticity: Is it what it appears to be? Has its identity and provenance been reliably established?
• Uniqueness and irreplaceability: something whose disappearance or deterioration would constitute a harmful impoverishment of the heritage of humanity. It must have created great impact over a span of time and/or within a particular cultural area of the world.
• world significance

Selection Procedures

• Application submitted to Communication and Information Sector
• Decision made by the International Advisory Committee which takes place every other year
• Announcement made by Secretary General of UNESCO

Protection of intangible heritage

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

• Adopted on 17 October, 2003; entered into force on 20 April, 2006.
  • Republic of Korea ratified on 2 September, 2005
• Major contents
  • Introduction of Urgent Safeguarding List and Representative List
  • Incorporation of the items proclaimed “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
  • Participation of communities, groups and, where appropriate, individuals that create, maintain and transmit such heritage, and to involve them actively in its management.
  • Establishment of Intergovernmental Committee and Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund
  • International cooperation and assistance to protect intangible heritage
  • The States Parties shall submit to the Committee reports on the legislative, regulatory and other measures taken for the implementation of this Convention.

Registration system for Intangible Cultural Heritage

• Definition of intangible cultural heritage (Article 2) http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00022#art2
• he “intangible cultural heritage”, transmitted from generation to generation, means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.
• Intangible Heritage Domains
  • oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of ICH
  • performing arts
  • social practices, rituals and festive events
  • knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
  • traditional craftsmanship

Return of Cultural Properties

Summary

• After the Second World War, worldwide request for the return and restitution of cultural properties has been increased.
• During the war, serious pillage swiped through Germany and newly-independent countries led the movement to re-establish their identities.
• UNESCO enacted international regulations and established intergovernmental committee promoting the return of cultural property

International regulations regarding return of cultural property

• 1954 Hague Convention, 1954 Protocol, 1999 Second Protocol focusing exclusively on the protection of cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict
• The 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
• A Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects has been created by UNIDROIT (International Institute for the Unification of Private Law) in 1995.

Intergovernmental Committee regarding return of cultural property

• Official name: Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation
• Set up in 1978 by the resolution 20 C4/7.6/5 at the 20th Session of the UNESCO General Conference of UNESCO
• Objectives :
  • To open up of new opportunities for countries directly involved in conflicts regarding return of cultural property that cannot be applied to international convention and recommendation for resolutions
  • To create international cooperation to promote return of cultural property to its countries of origin.
• The return and restitution committee comprises 22 Member States, which meet every two years and can also organize extraordinary sessions.
• Main projects
  • Review and recommendation for the request of return of cultural heritage: It provides a framework for discussion and negotiation
  • Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions 2005 was held on future strategies and Draft Rules of Procedure on Mediation and Conciliation.
  • Effective cooperation with INTERPOL, a series of Basic Actions concerning Cultural Objects being offered for Sale over the Internet has been compiled and published

Protection and promotion of cultural diversity

The promotion of cultural diversity is central to the Organization’s mandate with the purpose of maintaining cultural identity (cultural products and services do not only have industrial value but also cultural value) and preserving cultural diversity since late 1990’s.

• In 2001, the 31st session of the General Conference of UNESCO adopted “Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity” ; In 2003, the 32nd session of the General Conference decided to adopt related convention; In 2005, “Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions” was adopted in 2005 by the 33rd General Conference and entered into force in 2007.
• UNESCO is one of key partners of the Alliance of Civilizations. Other significant flagship projects and initiatives include the Slave Route project and the cultural mapping with indigenous peoples and the Arabia Plan that promote cultural diversity, communication among cultures and civilizations.