World Heritage Youth Forum Declaration (2016)

Preface: The World Heritage Youth Forum Declaration (2016), was adopted by the UNESCO World Heritage Youth Forum 2016 “At the Crossroads of Multi-layered Heritage”, Istanbul, Turkey, 29 June -12 July, 2016.

As part of the 40th session of the World Heritage Committee and in the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme, the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO and the Istanbul Site Management Directorate are organizing the World Heritage Youth Forum 2016: “At the Crossroads of Multi-Layered Heritage” from 29 June to 12 July 2016.

World Heritage Youth Forum 2016: “At the Crossroads of Multi-Layered Heritage”, from 29 June to 12 July 2016 in Istanbul Turkey. Young representatives, aged from 22 to 28, from 35 countries, had the opportunity to exchange ideas, contribute to the discussions and immerse themselves in topics within the scope of multi-layered heritage.

The Forum seeks to deepen youth knowledge and understanding the importance of:

• the implementation of the World Heritage Convention,
• the working methods of the World Heritage Committee,
• the challenges and opportunities of the protection of multi-layered World Heritage sites.

Scheduled activities included: visits to World Heritage sites, including Bursa and Cumalıkızık, with the international heritage experts; workshops on different aspects emerging from the multi-layered sites; practical hands-on activities with timber and stone work for the protection and maintenance of the World Heritage site in Istanbul; experts and young representatives’ presentations; participation in discussions on the state of conservation of properties and practicing the Youth Model simulation.

The young representatives prepared the final document of the Forum to be presented during the Opening Ceremony of the 40th World Heritage Committee Session. They will also participate in the first plenary day of the World Heritage Committee to observe how the Committee works.

In order to provide an occasion for the young representatives to exchange ideas with the delegates we ensure the participation of the young representatives on the first plenary day, 11 July 2016.

One challenge

How can we rethink heritage? How can the conservation, promotion and transmission of heritage be adapted to the challenges of the future? Urbanisation, climate change, global inequality, big data – much work lies before us. The most important actor in this debate is our global youth, the ones who will drive the change that is only starting now.

This is why the UNESCO World Heritage Centre organizes not only the annual Session of the World Heritage Committee, but also a World Heritage Youth Forum, which is an integral part of the event. The 28 participants, united by a conviction that young voices matter in shaping a better future for our heritage, presented the results of their work in the form of a Declaration at the Opening Ceremony of the 40^th Session of the formal World Heritage Committee. In their declaration, they committed themselves to leading the way for the change we need by mobilizing youth all over the world and by transmitting their expertise to future generations.

Everybody should be able to appreciate heritage in the modern era. But we have to learn how to manage heritage in a new way. This is why the participants assisted in the first plenary day, 11 July 2016, which provided an occasion for the young representatives to exchange fresh ideas with the delegates, an occasion for the whole heritage community to come together. A short video (5 minutes) showing how the young delegates immersed themselves in a variety of activities linked to their theme “At the Crossroads of Multi-Layered Heritage” was also presented.

They included visits to World Heritage sites, including Bursa and Cumalıkızık, guided by international heritage experts; workshops on different challenges emerging from multi-layered heritage management; practical hands-on activities with timber and stone for the protection and maintenance of the World Heritage site in Istanbul; experts’ and young representatives’ presentations; and discussions on the state of conservation of properties within the framework of a Youth Model simulation.

The World Heritage Centre would like to congratulate all participants on their excellent work. Now it is time for their discussions to inform our discussions.

All World Heritage Youth Forum

Category

Declaration

Date

29 June -12 July, 2016.

Promulgation

The UNESCO World Heritage Youth Forum 2016 “At the Crossroads of Multi-layered Heritage”, Istanbul, Turkey, 29 June -12 July, 2016.

Descriptions

• The Declaration recalls that the links between tangible and intangible heritage should be strengthened to contribute to a better understanding of heritage. and the declaration appeals to the World Heritage Committee to establish a stronger inter-disciplinary bond between the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) and the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003).
• The Declaration emphasizes the significance of raising awareness concerning the multi-layered aspect of heritage sites as a concrete proof of the historical appreciation of civilizations influencing subsequent periods that continuously gives inspiration to a universal cultural evolution, of which Istanbul is a significant example.
• The Declaration strongly recommends participation of the youth in the decision-making process for heritage conservation and management in their respective States Parties, to allow them to develop their skills and acquire knowledge through collaboration with heritage experts.
• The Declaration further recommends that all subsequent World Heritage Youth Forum events must include visits to heritage sites related to the theme and discussions about its challenges and potentials in the corresponding Youth Model of the World Heritage Committee.

  Source

 http://whc.unesco.org/document/143297

  Download

 http://orcp.hustoj.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/activity-886-1-1.pdf

 References

• World Heritage Youth Forum Declaration (2016)
  • Background:
    • http://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/886/
    • http://whc.unesco.org/en/events/1293/
    • http://whc.unesco.org/en/youth-forum/
  • Press Release:
    •  http://whc.unesco.org/document/143297

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