In 2023, World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO Shanghai (WHITRAP Shanghai) initiated the project on World Heritage Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (2023-2028) (hereafter ‘the Project’) through the network of Heritage Practitioners in Asia and the Pacific (HeritAP). The overall goal of the project is to facilitate the understand the 2015 UNESCO Policy document for the integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Process of the World Heritage Convention and create appropriate tools for heritage practitioners to streamline recommendations for the effective use of heritage as a driver for sustainable development, in line with the Regional Framework Action Plan for Asia and the Pacific (3rd PR Action Plan).
Figure 1. Group photo of 2023 annual meeting on World Heritage Contribution to SDGs
The Project is composed of multiple activities, including annual meeting, call for good practices, capacity building and publications. The 2023 annual meeting announced the Project and presented the policy and its implementation at international, regional and local level that World Heritage contributes to SDGs. In addition, the annual meeting introduced the framework of the six-year Project. From 2024-2027, it will focus on four thematic dimensions in line with the UNESCO Thematic Indicators for Cultural (Culture | 2030 Indicators).
(i) 2024 Environment & Resilience,
(ii) 2025 Prosperity & Livelihoods,
(iii) 2026 Knowledge & Skills,
(iv) 2027 Inclusion & Participation.
Figure 2. Call for Good Practices
Figure 3. Matrix of Environment & Resilience
Figure 4. Timeline of the Project in each year
After preliminary selection, 11 proposals were selected to be presented and discussed at Online HeritAP Chat on May 30, 2024. The purpose of HeritAP Chat was to better understand the projects on the ground and promote innovative practices on World Heritage Contribution to SDGs.
Figure 5. Group photo of HeritAP Chat
The Way Forward
As part of capacity development, WHITRAP Shanghai will have in-depth communication with heritage practitioners to further illustrate their outcome and improve the interpretation of the topic. A field study of the host site will be conducted and presented to participants of the 2024 HeritAP Annual Meeting. A summary of 2024 Good Practices in Environment & Resilience will be presented at the HeritAP annual meeting. Call for good practices in 2025 Prosperity & Livelihood will be announced in November 2024.
·So far lessons learned from Call for Good Practices on the WH contribution to SDGs are the following:Good practices should always bear in mind the 3 dimensions of sustainable development, namely environmental sustainability, inclusive social development and inclusive economic development, while peace and security is the fundamental elements of heritage place;
·No matter it is a big or small project, all heritage site has their own merits. The Call for good practices is to better illustrate their contribution to SDGs and share to the boarder audience；
·The communication between heritage practitioners through good practices activities is also a significant way of capacity development.