In 2015, the General Assembly of State Parties to the World Heritage Convention passed a ground-breaking Sustainable Development policy that seeks to bring the World Heritage system into line with the UN’s sustainable development agenda (UNESCO 2015). World Heritage and Sustainable Development provides a broad overview of the process that brought about the new policy and the implications of its enactment. The book is divided into four parts. Part I puts the policy in its historical and theoretical context, and Part II offers an analysis of the four policy dimensions on which the policy is based – environmental sustainability, inclusive social development, inclusive economic development and the fostering of peace and security. Part III presents perspectives from IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM – the three Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee, and Part IV offers ‘case study’ perspectives on the practical implications of the policy. Contributions come from a wide range of experienced heritage professionals and practitioners who offer both ‘inside’ perspectives on the evolution of the policy and ‘outside’ perspectives on its implications. Combined, they present and analyse the main ideas, debates and implications of the policy change. This book is key reading for all heritage professionals interested in developing a better understanding of the new Sustainable Development policy. It is also essential reading for scholars and students working in the area.

This thematic collection of 26 case studies provides a thorough understanding of World Heritage in the context of sustainable development.

The importance of cultural heritage - in both its tangible and intangible forms - to sustainable development and its economic, social and environmental components is increasingly evident in the recent practice of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations at the universal and regional level. Due consideration for the integration of the cultural dimension in the implementation of Agenda 2030 has begun to grow in various international fora, including initiatives to emphasize the role and contribution of tangible and intangible heritage as drivers and enablers of sustainable development. It has also been recognized that the inherent links between cultural heritage and sustainable development cannot be correctly addressed without taking into account their various implications for the effective enjoyment of all human rights, including cultural rights. This book offers a thorough academic investigation on the importance of cultural heritage to sustainable development and cultural rights from an international law perspective. Providing an in-depth review of the possible intersections between cultural heritage, sustainable development and cultural rights and the limits of the current legal and institutional framework, it will be of interest to researchers and scholars of international law, cultural heritage law, environmental law and human rights law.

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention has become one of the most successful UN instruments for promoting cultural diplomacy and dialogue on conservation of cultural and natural heritage. This book provides an overview of the convention through an interdisciplinary approach to conservation. It shows that based on the notion of outstanding universal value and international cooperation for the protection of heritage, the convention provides a platform for sustainable development through the conservation and management of heritage of significance to humanity. With increasing globalization of heritage, World Heritage Conservation is reviewed as an emerging interdisciplinary field of study creating new opportunities for inclusive heritage debate both locally and globally, requiring common tools and understanding. With over a thousand properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, from biologically diverse sites such as the Central Amazon Conservation Complex to the urban landscape of the metropolis of Rio de Janeiro, the book will help students, researchers and professionals in the identification, protection, conservation and presentation of World Heritage. Targeted at a diversity of disciplines, the book critically describes the strategies for implementing the convention and the processes of heritage governance for sustainable development.

​This book explores the opportunities and challenges associated with the legal protection of World Heritage sites in the Pacific Islands. It argues that the small Pacific representation on the World Heritage List is in part due to a lack of strong legal frameworks for heritage conservation, putting such sites under threat. Providing a comprehensive analysis of the nomination, listing and protection of the Solomon Island World Heritage Site, it examines the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the Pacific context. It explores how the international community’s broadening interpretation of the notion of ‘outstanding universal value’ has increased the potential for Pacific heritage to be classified as ‘World Heritage’. This book also analyses the protection regime established by the Convention, and the World Heritage Committee’s approach to heritage conservation, identifying challenges associated with the protection of Pacific Island heritage.

This book provides a systemic understanding of how intangible cultural heritage (ICH) can promote sustainable development. It offers new insights on the identity-building potential of heritage practices as ‘enabler’ of development and their capacity to generate social and economic profits as ‘driver’ of development. Based on Pierre Bourdieu’s ‘Theory of Practice’, a model for the valorisation of ICH is presented, which may serve as a tool to stimulate the developmental potentials of heritage on a practical level. The functioning of the valorisation model is exemplified with a case study on a German choral tradition, which has not been officially nominated as ICH. Therewith, it is shown how the model can be applied to utilise the developmental potentials of ICH - as promoted in the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) – even beyond UNESCO’s scope. This book is of interest to cultural heritage scholars.

This book critically analyses the relationships between intangible cultural heritage (ICH), sustainable development and intellectual property rights (IPRs). The author argues that although the use of IPRs to safeguard ICH presents challenges and has impeded sustainable development in some cases, the adoption of these rights on ICH also presents opportunities and, fundamentally, is not contrary to the spirit of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO 2003 Convention). The adoption of IPRs on ICH can form an important part of the development of sustainable safeguarding plans capable of benefitting the communities, groups and individuals (CGIs) that create, maintain and transmit such heritage. The book provides a nuanced analysis of the relationship between intellectual property (IP) law and ICH as well as examining the role of IPRs in safeguarding ICH through the lens of sustainable development. It analyses the relationship between IP law and ICH from environmental, social and economic perspectives. These perspectives allow a thorough evaluation of both the positive effects and potential pitfalls of adopting IPRs to safeguard ICH. The book addresses deeper structural matters that refer back to the safeguarding of social and environmental processes underlying ICH.