World Heritage and Sustainable Development
In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a global priority to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), introducing 17 goals with 169 specific targets. The SDGs have since become a worldwide agenda.
UNESCO's 2015 publication, "Policy for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention" (hereinafter referred to as WH-SDP), emphasizes that the World Heritage Convention significantly contributes to sustainable development and the well-being of people globally. It explains how the "conservation of World Heritage" can support the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The policy report highlights three dimensions of sustainable development—environmental sustainability, inclusive social development, and inclusive economic development—and suggests that promoting peace and security can also help maintain the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of World Heritage sites. It presents heritage impact assessment as a proactive approach by state parties to the World Heritage Convention to contribute to environmental sustainability.
*Source : UNESCO(2015), Twentieth session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage: Item 13 of the Provisional Agenda: World Heritage and Sustainable Development. INF.13: Draft Policy Document for the integration of a sustainable development perspective into the processes of the World Heritage Convention (WHC-15/20.GA/INF.13), UNESCO.
Heritage Impact Assessment(HIA)
Heritage impact assessments are one of the ways to ensure the coexistence of the protection and conservation of World Heritage and sustainable development. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and international advisory bodies have developed guidelines for heritage impact assessments, providing criteria to evaluate the impact of development activities on cultural heritage within or around World Heritage sites.
- 1 By signing UNESCO’s Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, each State Party has pledged to protect and conserve World Heritage.
- 2 Impact assessment can help achieve sustainable development that is compatible with the protection and conservation of World Heritage.
- 3 States Parties have an obligation to notify the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in advance before considering any proposed action that may have an impact on World Heritage.
- 4 Any impact assessment on a World Heritage property should address Outstanding Universal Value specifically, as well as other heritage/conservation values.
- 5 Impact assessment should begin at the earliest consideration of a proposed action that may impact on World Heritage, and should continue during and after the action’s development and execution.
- 6 Impact assessment should be carried out by specialists with the relevant expertise.
- 7 Impact assessment should promote and encourage the effective, inclusive and equitable participation of rights-holders, including Indigenous peoples, local communities and other stakeholders.
- 8 Impact assessment should identify a range of reasonable alternatives, and assess their potential impacts.
- 9 Impact assessment should evaluate broader trends and cumulative impacts.
- 10 Impact assessment is an iterative, not a linear, process.
- 11 Impact assessment processes should be embedded in the management system of the World Heritage property.
*Source : ICOMOS·UNESCO·ICCROM·IUCN(2022), Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context.