2026 HeritAP Annual Meeting on World Heritage Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals
In 2023, the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (WHITR-AP, Shanghai Center) launched the "World Heritage Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals" project (2023–2028). The overall goal of the project is to facilitate understanding of the 2015 UNESCO Policy on the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention and to create appropriate tools for heritage practitioners to effectively harness the potential of heritage as a driver for sustainable development. The project also recognizes and disseminates Good Practices demonstrating how heritage conservation and management contribute to sustainable development.
The 2026 HeritAP Annual Meeting will take place in Zhouzhuang, China, on 10–11 November 2026. The meeting will focus on three main areas: (1) current international and national policies and actions that incorporate heritage into the Sustainable Development Goals; (2) the announcement of the 2026 Good Practices in Knowledge & Skills; and (3) the launch of the 2027 Call for Practices in Inclusion & Participation.
WHITR-AP Shanghai's project on World Heritage Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals will also align with UNESCO's "Promoting Tangible-Intangible Synergies at UNESCO Designated Sites in Asia-Pacific" project. The collaboration aims to identify good practices that demonstrate how tangible and intangible heritage can be safeguarded through integrated approaches while contributing to sustainable development.
These cases will inform the development of practical guidelines for integrating sustainable development into heritage conservation and management, strengthening cooperation among institutions working in tangible and intangible heritage fields. The meeting will provide an opportunity for heritage practitioners, researchers, and international organizations to exchange knowledge and experience, explore collaborative approaches, and promote the role of heritage in sustainable development.
Call for 2026 Good Practices
Thematic Speeches: Promoting Tangible–Intangible Synergies
Announcement and Presentation of the 2026 Good Practices in Knowledge & Skills
Round Table Discussion: Bridging the Gap between Tangible and Intangible Heritage in Practice
Launch of the 2027 Call for Practices in Inclusion & Participation
Evening: Zhouzhuang Odyssey Immersive Theatre Performance
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Place: Zhouzhuang, China
Time: 10–11 Nov. 2026, Beijing Time (UTC+8)
Presenter:
Lazare ELOUNDOU ASSOMO, SHAO Yong, LI Hong, Rohit JIGYASU, Duong Bich HANH, Hatthaya SIRIPHATTHANAKUN, Nobuko INABA, Chen Chen, Shereen NADDAF, ZHOU Kai, WANG Xinyuan, LUO Yao Hua, XIAO Shizhen, Su Zhiming, Gamini WIJESURIYA, LE Hoang Lien, Nayeon LEE, Boyoung CHA, JIANG Yeqin, Carolina CASTELLANOS
Executive Summary
Heritage Asia-Pacific (HeritAP) is a network of heritage practitioners established and supported by WHITR-AP Shanghai. Grounded in the principle that practice is a vital source of knowledge, HeritAP advances technical exchange, mutual learning, cross-sector collaboration, and institutional connectivity to strengthen heritage conservation and management capacity across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.In 2023, the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (WHITR-AP, Shanghai Center) launched the "World Heritage Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals" project (2023–2028). The overall goal of the project is to facilitate understanding of the 2015 UNESCO Policy on the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention and to create appropriate tools for heritage practitioners to effectively harness the potential of heritage as a driver for sustainable development. The project also recognizes and disseminates Good Practices demonstrating how heritage conservation and management contribute to sustainable development.
The 2026 HeritAP Annual Meeting will take place in Zhouzhuang, China, on 10–11 November 2026. The meeting will focus on three main areas: (1) current international and national policies and actions that incorporate heritage into the Sustainable Development Goals; (2) the announcement of the 2026 Good Practices in Knowledge & Skills; and (3) the launch of the 2027 Call for Practices in Inclusion & Participation.
WHITR-AP Shanghai's project on World Heritage Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals will also align with UNESCO's "Promoting Tangible-Intangible Synergies at UNESCO Designated Sites in Asia-Pacific" project. The collaboration aims to identify good practices that demonstrate how tangible and intangible heritage can be safeguarded through integrated approaches while contributing to sustainable development.
These cases will inform the development of practical guidelines for integrating sustainable development into heritage conservation and management, strengthening cooperation among institutions working in tangible and intangible heritage fields. The meeting will provide an opportunity for heritage practitioners, researchers, and international organizations to exchange knowledge and experience, explore collaborative approaches, and promote the role of heritage in sustainable development.
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Agenda
9 November 2026
Registration10 November 2026
Opening CeremonyThematic Speeches: Promoting Tangible–Intangible Synergies
Announcement and Presentation of the 2026 Good Practices in Knowledge & Skills
Round Table Discussion: Bridging the Gap between Tangible and Intangible Heritage in Practice
Launch of the 2027 Call for Practices in Inclusion & Participation
Evening: Zhouzhuang Odyssey Immersive Theatre Performance
11 November 2026
Field Visit to Zhouzhuang Water Town and Wansan Winery