UNESCO World Heritage Committee Reinforces Commitment to Sustainable Development Goals

Advancing SDG 11: Safeguarding Cultural and Natural Heritage

The World Heritage Committee has advanced its commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 11, Target 11.4, which calls for strengthening efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage. In its latest session, the Committee took significant steps to expand and secure global heritage, underscoring the universal influence of the World Heritage Convention.

• 26 new properties were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
• Two existing sites were approved for extension, facilitating the creation of transboundary natural parks.
• The total number of sites on the World Heritage List now stands at 1248, located across 170 countries.

These actions ensure that the newly inscribed properties benefit from the highest level of international protection, directly contributing to the preservation of irreplaceable cultural and natural assets for future generations.

Promoting SDG 10 and SDG 8 through Inclusive Heritage Management

The Committee’s decisions placed a strong emphasis on reducing inequalities (SDG 10) and promoting sustainable economic growth (SDG 8) by championing inclusive heritage management models. A significant focus was placed on African heritage and the central role of local and indigenous communities in the nomination and safeguarding processes.

• African Heritage Prioritization: UNESCO has mobilized over $34 million since 2020 to support African Member States through expert training, nomination support, and project funding. This commitment aims to correct historical imbalances in representation on the World Heritage List.
• Community-Led Inscriptions: Sites such as the four new African properties and the Murujuga Cultural Landscape in Australia were inscribed with direct support from local communities, recognizing their role as primary custodians. This approach ensures that heritage protection also safeguards living traditions and supports local livelihoods, aligning with SDG 8.9 (promote sustainable tourism).
• Expanding Representation: Two African states, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone, presented their first nominations, enhancing the universality of the List and contributing to SDG 10.

Furthermore, the removal of three African sites in Madagascar, Egypt, and Libya from the List of World Heritage in Danger demonstrates successful international cooperation and capacity-building.

Fostering SDG 15: Protecting Biodiversity and Life on Land

The Committee’s work directly supports SDG 15 (Life on Land) by protecting critical ecosystems and biodiversity hotspots. The inscription and extension of natural heritage sites are vital for conservation.

1. Transboundary Conservation: The extension of a site from South Africa to Mozambique has created a transboundary natural park of nearly 4,000 km², enhancing cooperative ecosystem management and protecting migratory corridors.
2. Protecting Prehistoric Landscapes: The inscription of sites like the Peruaçu River Canyon in Brazil safeguards unique geological formations and the fragile ecosystems they contain.
3. Recognizing Ancestral Knowledge: Inscriptions such as the Murujuga Cultural Landscape (Australia) and the Huichol Route (Mexico) protect ancestral knowledge that has shaped sustainable relationships between communities and nature for centuries.

Supporting SDG 16 and SDG 4: Heritage for Peace and Education

The inscription of “sites of memory” illustrates the essential role of heritage in fostering peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16) and providing platforms for quality education (SDG 4). These sites serve as powerful tools for remembrance, reconciliation, and learning.

• Heritage for Peace and Remembrance: The Cambodian Memorial Sites, linked to the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime, were inscribed as places of transmission, commemoration, and reflection. This action highlights UNESCO’s role in peace-building and the work of remembrance, contributing to SDG 16.
• Heritage as an Educational Resource: Nearly a third of the newly inscribed sites are linked to prehistory, including the Megaliths of Carnac (France) and the Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream (Republic of Korea). These sites are fundamental educational resources for understanding human history, societal development, and humanity’s long-term relationship with the environment, aligning with SDG 4.7.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article’s core theme is the protection and safeguarding of the world’s cultural and natural heritage through the UNESCO World Heritage List, which directly aligns with a key target of this goal.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The inscription of natural sites, the creation of a transboundary natural park, and the removal of sites from the List of World Heritage in Danger all contribute to the conservation of terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article highlights the inscription of “sites of memory,” such as the Cambodian Memorial Sites, explicitly linking heritage preservation to the work of remembrance and peace-building, which are fundamental to fostering peaceful and inclusive societies.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article details international cooperation, financial mobilization, and capacity-building efforts by UNESCO to support member states, particularly in Africa, in nominating and protecting their heritage sites. This exemplifies the global partnerships needed to achieve sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

  This is the most prominent target. The entire article is about actions taken to achieve this, including inscribing 26 new properties on the World Heritage List, recognizing the role of local communities, and providing financial support for safeguarding projects.

• Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

  The removal of three African sites from the List of World Heritage in Danger is a direct action to halt and reverse the degradation of these critical natural and cultural habitats.

• Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

  While not directly reducing current violence, the inscription of sites of memory linked to recent atrocities, like the Cambodian Memorial Sites, is described as contributing to “peace-building” and the “work of remembrance.” This effort helps societies heal and learn from past violence to build a more peaceful future.

• Target 17.9: Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals.

  The article explicitly states that UNESCO has made “considerable and targeted efforts to support its African Member States,” including the “training of local experts,” “support for the preparation of candidatures,” and mobilizing over “$34 million… since 2020 in favor of African heritage.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 11.4:
  • Financial expenditure: The article mentions that “more than $34 million has been mobilized by UNESCO since 2020 in favor of African heritage,” which serves as a direct financial indicator for heritage protection efforts.
  • Number of protected sites: The inscription of “26 new properties” and the new total of “1248” sites are quantitative measures of the expansion of heritage protection.
  • Number of countries with protected sites: The article notes the list covers “170 countries” and that Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone presented their first nominations, indicating an increase in the universality and reach of heritage protection.
• For Target 15.5:
  • Status of endangered sites: The “removal of three African sites… from the List of World Heritage in Danger” is a clear indicator of progress in halting the degradation of these specific habitats.
  • Area of protected ecosystems: The creation of a “transboundary natural park of almost 4,000 km²” is a specific, measurable indicator of an increase in conserved terrestrial ecosystems.
• For Target 16.1:
  • Number of sites dedicated to peace and remembrance: The inscription of the “Cambodian Memorial Sites” is a qualitative and quantitative indicator of using heritage as a tool for peace-building and reconciliation.
• For Target 17.9:
  • Financial aid for capacity-building: The “$34 million” mobilized for Africa is a direct indicator of financial support.
  • Technical assistance and training: The mention of “training of local experts” and “support for the preparation of candidatures” are indicators of capacity-building activities.
  • Number of countries supported: The article notes that “7 other African countries not yet on the List are expected to present their first nomination” by 2027, indicating the scale and impact of the support provided.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: artdependence.com