The WHL programme is actively engaged with diverse partners and events to communicate our message and engage in discussions. One of the key areas we value is the building of international networks between nature and culture practitioners and institutions that link on-ground practice with leadership at international, regional, national and local levels.

IUCN/ICCROM involvement in Nordic Meetings

Nordic Meetings

One of the WHL programme’s key objectives is formulating leadership networks aimed at improving performance and organizational effectiveness, as well as promoting collaborative decision-making and strengthening operational networks. The expansion of the Nordic network aims to raise the visibility of the WHL programme to Nordic countries and experts, and to encourage individual and site level participation in future activities, by disseminating practical information about our activities.

The WHL programme has taken part in various Nordic and Norwegian World Heritage meetings, promoting the specific lines of activities to encourage future participation and engagement of Nordic sites and professionals:

  • Meeting of Norwegian World Heritage Site Representatives:  Hammerfest, Norway, 12 – 14 June 2017
  • Living in World Heritage and Community Involvement: Nordic World Heritage Conference, Rauma, Finland, 11-14 September 2017
  • Verdensarvforum, Norwegian World Heritage Meeting, Urnes, Norway, 7-9 September 2018
  • Nordic World Heritage Conference, Jelling, Denmark, 10-12 September 2018

Representation at the ICOMOS General Assembly

As part of the ICOMOS General Assembly 2018 in Delhi, India, an introductory workshop was convened to provide information to the ICOMOS network on the issues related to the WHL programme, including the plan to link the resource manuals on managing cultural and natural heritage. The workshop was conducted as a part of the Culture Nature Journey, during the scientific symposium from 13 – 15 December 2017.

A preliminary review of the contents of the management manuals was presented, as well as the overall structure, target audiences and objectives of the programme. Questions and inquiries from the participants highlighted the programme activities that most interested people, such as the learning sites and leadership network.

The programme’s grounding in people-centred approaches was emphasized, including the relationships with site managers, communities, professionals, and rights holders. Another major point raised during the workshop was the need to develop the heritage management system from a curative one to a preventive one, which can be propelled towards the sustainable development of society by proactively addressing issues such as climate change and disaster risks.

The workshop provided a good opportunity to gather interest for the WHL programme within the larger ICOMOS network and highlighted the importance of connecting with site managers and coordinators on the ground for increased effectiveness. The discussions and questions raised during the workshop provided a good basis to organize the following Management Manual workshop, which took place in January.

Side events at World Heritage Committees

The WHL programme regularly hosts side events at the World Heritage Committee to promote the overall programme or developments in specific thematic areas. For example, the 2017 side event in Poland was used to present a broad programme overview, while an update on the establishment of the web platform was given in Bahrain in 2018.

In 2019, the side event in Azerbaijan focused on the structure of the Knowledge Framework, as well as highlighting key partners and donors helping to build the programme. The event was a collaboration with Norway, Switzerland and Korea, whose motivation and experience working with the programme attracted interest from a diverse range of partners.

During the 43rd Session in Azerbaijan, the outcomes of the Site Managers’ Forum were presented at a side event. This enabled the conclusions and takeaways from the forum to be promoted to the Committee delegations, and highlighted the continuous support of the previous host countries. It also facilitated a more organized closure to the overall forum for the participants, as there had not been a moment to officially close the forum on previous occasions.

The programme coordinated another side event on networking with WHITRAP and Tsukuba University. The Nordic World Heritage Association and the potential African Site Managers Network were invited to share their experiences networking amongst peers. Site managers and heritage practitioners were introduced to the diverse range of networks in which they could participate, and the need to utilize these networks to push forward knowledge exchange and peer learning.

Representation at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

IUCN WCC 2021 Marseille, France

For the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress 2021 in Marseille, France, the WHL programme will participate in the thematic plenary session “A Cultural Heartbeat for the Future of Nature: putting culture in the centre of the post-2020 agenda”; host a campus training session on “Conducting Impact Assessments for World Heritage, for protection and sustainable development”; and promote the programme through a speaker’s pitch entitled “World Heritage Leadership: connecting people, nature and culture in a new capacity building approach”.

The Programme will also collaborate with other partners and feature in sessions promoting the PANORAMA Platform with the new thematic community initiative, as well as participate in the management effectiveness toolkit campus session.