Preparation of Statements of Significance

Much attention has been paid to the importance of values-based conservation over the last 20 years in the conservation field. In spite of growing acceptance of this approach, the capacity to write effective significance statements is not well developed. This is nowhere more evident than in the World Heritage process where the requirement that States Parties accompany their nomination documents with statements of significance has not produced the sorts of statements that would be effective instruments for guiding site interventions that respect heritage values. This research activity would be carried out in close cooperation with a number of ICCROM Member States who have had a good experience in developing such statements (for example, Australia, Canada).

Developing Management Systems for Heritage Sites

ICCROM has played an important role in increasing the attention paid to management needs for heritage sites over the last fifteen years. Nevertheless, as concepts continue to develop, there is a need to rethink the way that we describe effective site management. Evolving approaches to integrated conservation, participatory planning, monitoring, traditional conservation and management systems, to name but a few, require that we develop a way to better define effective management so that it will be practical for practitioners in the field. ICCROM is uniquely qualified, given its many years of continuing experience in this area in all parts of the world, to take the lead in re-thinking various approaches to management and in producing a contemporary set of Guidelines which can assist site managers in all contexts.

updated on: 23 November, 2007