The course will consist of an overview of key concepts and processes of the World Heritage Convention. It will introduce participants to the protection, management and monitoring processes for World Heritage properties and also provide an opportunity to learn how the Advisory Bodies prepare the State of Conservation reports presented to the World Heritage Committee each year. The participants will be guided through the evaluation processes of the Advisory Bodies and their recommendations. Various field trips to heritage sites in the vicinity will be conducted to provide knowledge for field evaluation and monitoring mission procedures.

While the number of collections and museums are growing exponentially, a 2010 ICCROM survey indicated that 60% of collections world-wide are at risk because of overcrowding and poor storage conditions. In this situation, museums can neither ensure the protection of their assets, nor use them for research or education.

In the Asia-Pacific Region there are various forms of cultural heritage which are of great value from a global point of view. In order to safeguard this important cultural heritage for future generations, it is necessary to train heritage professionals for proper investigation, analysis and preservation. ACCU Nara, in partnership with ICCROM and Bunkacho has been organizing training courses since 2000 on specific themes, with a view to building the capacity of professionals involved with cultural heritage protection in the region. The curriculum of the 19th group training course is designed for young professionals and comprises comprehensive basic knowledge and techniques in the fields of investigation, preservation and management of archaeological sites.

The course is organized by ICCROM, ICM and CACH on the invitation of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) to benefit professionals working at World Heritage properties in China and around the world. In addition to a group of Chinese participants, an international group of participants will be selected by ICCROM. This course is a follow up to three successful courses on “Management and Monitoring of World Heritage Sites with special reference to China” organized and implemented 2011, 2016 and 2017 on the invitation of SACH.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has observed that many activities such as tourism, infrastructure development, new buildings, urban renewal and changes to the land use being undertaken in and around World Heritage sites may have negative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).