This year’s international session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee took place in New Delhi. Part of this meeting was the “World Heritage Managers’ Forum,” which brought together managers from around the world—and Bamberg has now gained a few more fans among them.
As Dr. Simona von Eyb begins to talk about her trip, she’s brimming with enthusiasm. You almost forget that the interview is taking place under the roof of the World Heritage Visitor Center with a view of the Old Town Hall. For in her travelogue, a colorful and creative conference in sweltering India comes to life. The Bamberg World Heritage manager brings the intensive workshops back to life, which culminated in a charter outlining the most important goals and challenges for UNESCO World Heritage sites worldwide.
But it had already become clear at the start of the week-long conference that this was a special event: “We were welcomed by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay. That was a powerful statement of how important World Heritage sites are to the international community,” says the Bamberg delegate.
Over 80 World Heritage managers
The exchange with her more than 80 colleagues from around the world was extremely inspiring. “Once again, this highlights the significance of World Heritage in a global context. And it leads to the realization that Bamberg is one of the most valuable places in the world.” What particularly pleases Simona von Eyb: “The World Heritage city of Bamberg is increasingly becoming a driving force for the development of best practices in World Heritage management. Together with other World Heritage sites, we want to develop management models for the urban context that take a holistic view of World Heritage and have a positive impact on people, culture, and nature.”
Among the most important topics discussed this year at the World Heritage Managers’ Forum were cooperation with local communities, the role of World Heritage in sustainable development, climate protection and climate adaptation, and greater youth participation. However, issues such as World Heritage impact assessments—for example, for new construction projects—and disaster risk management—such as in the event of natural disasters—were also central to the workshops.
Joint Statement
At the conclusion of the forum, a joint statement was adopted by all participating World Heritage managers and presented at the General Assembly of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The responsibilities of World Heritage managers are complex and now also encompass areas such as urban planning and development, environmental planning, economic development, and education and outreach. The main message of the statement was the need to recognize the mandate of World Heritage managers within institutional structures and, above all, to provide adequate funding and resources at the local level to fulfill the complex tasks of World Heritage management and ensure the long-term protection of World Heritage sites. The importance of networks and the associated exchange of knowledge was also emphasized.
Dr. Simona von Eyb in the plenary hall of the World Heritage Committee.
Photo: Elsevar Mammadov.
