International Heritage News
01 The United States Returns to UNESCO After General Conference Vote
On June 30, the United States returned to UNESCO following a voting procedure at a special session of the UNESCO General Conference. Among 193 member states, 132 voted in favor and 10 against. The US has pledged to pay $619 million in back dues and will assume 22% of the organization's regular budget, supporting Africa education, Holocaust remembrance programs, and journalist protection. UNESCO will advance key priorities such as Africa and gender equality through its new budget.
Director-General Audrey Azoulay stated: "This is of great significance for UNESCO and multilateralism."
Source: International Heritage Observation
02 ICCROM's 21st International Course on Wood Conservation Technology to be Held in 2024
The 21st International Course on Wood Conservation Technology (ICWCT), organized by ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), Riksantikvaren (Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage), and NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), will be held in Norway from April to June 2024 in a hybrid format:
·Online training: April 22 – May 31
·In-person training: Oslo and various locations in Norway, June 10–24
Main objectives of the course include:
·Providing basic knowledge of wood, processed structural wood, and decorative wood;
·Offering theoretical and practical knowledge needed to diagnose causes of wood degradation and select optimal methods for wood conservation and restoration;
·Expanding participants’ knowledge of wood conservation beyond their own fields;
·Enabling professionals from different countries and cultural backgrounds to learn together, exchange practical experiences, and discuss wood conservation and usage methods.
The course will be taught in English. Main content includes:
·Theories and principles of wood heritage conservation and the properties of wood;
·Biodegradation, fungal and insect damage;
·Preventive conservation and climatology, climate change and its impact on wooden cultural heritage;
·Conservation of wooden artifacts, wooden furniture, and wooden structures.
The course is free of charge and limited to 20 participants. Registration deadline: September 30. Registration information: www.iccrom.org/courses/21st-international-course-wood-conservation-technology-icwct-2024
Source: www.iccrom.org
03 UNESCO Geological Heritage Management Workshop Opens for Registration
The Secretariat of UNESCO’s International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP), together with the World Heritage Centre and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), will hold a workshop on geological heritage management from October 19–22 in the Azores Islands, Portugal.
The workshop will invite managers of World Heritage sites (inscribed under criterion viii) and other international and national protected areas (biosphere reserves, UNESCO Global Geoparks, national parks, etc.) to discuss the following issues:
·Since 2010, a total of 35 properties have been nominated under criterion viii, but only 16 have been successfully inscribed; many failed to demonstrate Outstanding Universal Value;
·Continuous tourism development at World Heritage sites and other protected areas poses multiple risks to geological heritage, and site managers need more guidance;
·Climate change and sea‑level rise force site managers to seek new methods to mitigate risks to geological heritage protection;
·Managers of UNESCO sites need to incorporate appropriate measures into management plans to ensure effective protection of geodiversity, which underpins biodiversity.
Registration opens immediately and closes on August 13.
Source: www.unesco.org
04 2023 European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards Announced
On June 13, the 2023 European Heritage Awards were announced. Thirty heritage projects from 21 countries received awards. Funded by the EU’s Creative Europe programme, the awards are given in five categories: Heritage Protection and Adaptive Reuse; Research; Education, Training and Skills; Citizen Participation and Awareness; and Heritage Champions.
Winning projects include the Royal Gardens of Venice (Italy), preservation of traditional fishing techniques in Portugal, retraining of craftsmen working with marginalized heritage in France, the annual "Budapest 100" celebration for the World Heritage city in Hungary, and online protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage. After a public vote, each winning project will receive a prize of €10,000.
Source: International Heritage Observation
05 ICCROM Cultural Entrepreneurship Programme Online Training
ICCROM’s Cultural Entrepreneurship Programme will recruit 20 creative industry professionals from Africa and Italy for training on cultural heritage, creative industries, and sustainability.
The training will focus on the role of culture and heritage as engines for local development, build a platform for dialogue and exchange, share successful models and methods, empower cultural entrepreneurs, and explore new projects. The training will run for 11 weeks from September to December. Main content includes:
·Business models and planning for cultural and creative industries;
·Fundraising and sponsorship;
·Start‑up incubation consulting;
·Sustainability and community engagement in cultural and creative industries;
·Marketing and communication strategies.
Source: www.iccrom.org
Domestic Heritage News
01 2023 Joint Workshop on Cultural Heritage Protection – Peking University Summer Course Opens for Registration
The 2023 Joint Workshop on Cultural Heritage Protection (Peking University Summer Course) is co‑organized by the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University, the World Heritage Training and Research Center for Asia and the Pacific (Beijing) under UNESCO, and the Public Archaeology and Art Center of Peking University. It will form an interdisciplinary team covering cultural heritage, history, archaeology, museology, architecture, landscape tourism, sociology, anthropology, urban‑rural planning, and environmental ecology. The team will conduct field research at the Diaoyucheng (Fishing Town) site in Hechuan District, Chongqing. Under the guidance of instructors, they will investigate the current state of the Diaoyucheng heritage, surrounding landscape environment, and local communities. Based on the core values of the Sichuan‑Chongqing mountain city, the workshop will produce foundational research, condition assessments, and preliminary designs for the protection and presentation of Diaoyucheng.
Source: Peking University Cultural Heritage Research
02 The Fifth General Assembly of ICOMOS China Held in Beijing
Beijing. Li Qun, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism and Director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, attended and addressed the meeting. Also present were Shan Jixiang, President of the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics; Liu Yuzhu, Chairman of the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation; and Song Xinchao, Chairman of ICOMOS China. The meeting was chaired by the Secretary‑General of ICOMOS China, who is also the head of the Archaeology Department of the National Cultural Heritage Administration.
The General Assembly reviewed and approved the work report and financial report of the Fourth Council, as well as the revised draft of the ICOMOS China Constitution, and elected a new leadership body and council members.
Approximately 150 people attended, including officials from relevant departments and directly affiliated units of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Cultural Heritage Administration, members of the Fourth Council of ICOMOS China, representatives of members from provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), cultural and museum institutions, World Heritage sites, and universities, as well as representatives from the UNESCO World Heritage Training and Research Center for Asia and the Pacific and the UNESCO International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage.
Source: ICOMOS China
03 Fourth Huangshan Dialogue on UNESCO Designated Heritage Sites and Sustainable Development
On the morning of June 29, the Fourth Huangshan Dialogue on UNESCO Designated Heritage Sites and Sustainable Development opened.
Attendees included Guo Huadong, Director of the International Centre on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage (HIST) under UNESCO and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Ling Yun, Secretary of the Huangshan Municipal Committee; Qu Xing, Deputy Director‑General of UNESCO; as well as representatives from ICOMOS, the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, the UNESCO Beijing Office, the Natural Heritage Management Division of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration’s Department of Protected Area Management, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA); municipal leaders Ye Jianqiang, Zhang Yaqiang, and Liu Li; Zhang Jianwei, Executive Deputy Director of the WHITRAP Beijing Center and Associate Dean of the School of Archaeology and Museology at Peking University; and Song Feng, Deputy Director of WHITRAP and Associate Professor at Peking University’s College of Urban and Environmental Sciences.
The Dialogue was themed "Digital Technology Empowering Sustainable Development of Designated Heritage" and aimed to explore the application of space technology in the protection and management of World Heritage sites, World Biosphere Reserves, and World Geoparks.
Source: China Huangshan
04 2023 "Belt and Road" Youth Creativity and Heritage Forum
The "Belt and Road" Youth Creativity and Heritage Forum was held from June 26 to 30 in Changsha and Nanjing. It was co‑organized by UNESCO, the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, the Changsha Municipal Government, the Nanjing Municipal Government, and the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations. The forum gathered young people's views and suggestions on cultural diversity and inclusiveness, emphasizing their shared commitment and action.
Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO’s Assistant Director‑General for Social and Human Sciences, delivered a video message. Other speakers at the opening ceremony included Chen Jie, Vice Minister of Education and Director of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO; Zhou Haibing, Vice Governor and Acting Mayor; H.E. Albertus Ochamub, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Namibia to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO; Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia; Qin Changwei, Secretary‑General of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO; and Luo Changjun, Deputy Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League.
Also attending were Vice Mayor Xiao Zhengbo; permanent delegates to UNESCO from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, and Senegal; 18 representatives from seven UNESCO Creative Cities Network member cities both in China and abroad, including Dr. Li Guanghan, Assistant Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Training and Research Center for Asia and the Pacific (Beijing) and a faculty member at Peking University’s School of Archaeology and Museology; and 62 youth representatives from 46 Belt and Road countries.
Dr. Li Guanghan said: "Protecting living heritage also helps advance the goals of sustainable social development. Young people have many innovative understandings of past traditions; they can engage with different professional backgrounds and, drawing on diverse cultural heritages, achieve greater social impact. I am very pleased to share this message with young people from various countries in such a discussion group."
Source: Changsha Release, WHITRAP Beijing
05 Dayun Cultural Tourism Hosts the First Digital Cultural Tourism (Metaverse) Practitioners Conference
On June 27, the First Digital Cultural Tourism (Metaverse) Practitioners Conference, guided by Jiangsu Cultural Investment Group and the People’s Government of Wujiang District, Suzhou, and hosted by Dayun Cultural Tourism, opened in Wujiang, Suzhou.
Government officials from the Resource Development Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Suzhou Municipal Propaganda Department, and Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, together with experts, scholars, and practitioners from various fields across the country – including heritage protection, cultural tourism, museums, technology, industry, and education – gathered to discuss topics such as promoting deep integration of digital technology and the real economy, and accelerating innovative applications of digital technology.
During the speech session, nearly ten experts and scholars from Peking University’s School of Archaeology and Museology, Tsinghua University’s Internet Industry Research Institute, and Tencent Cultural Tourism explored the contemporary challenge of how to better and more fully preserve cultural heritage and make cultural resources more vibrant and popular in the context of digital transformation – covering digitization of cultural heritage, digital spaces meeting new urban cultural tourism needs, and the digital future of Generation Z.
Zhang Jianwei, Associate Dean of Peking University’s School of Archaeology and Museology, gave a speech entitled "Breaking the Dimensional Wall: The Digitization Path of Cultural Heritage."
Source: Jiangsu Cultural Investment Group, WHITRAP Beijing
