Dates: 17‐28 October 2016

Venue: Vigan, Philippine.

Organizers

• World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO, Shanghai Centre (WHITRAP, Shanghai)
• International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)

Host

• The City Government of Vigan

Partners

• Tongji University, China
• Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning & Design Institute, China

Application Deadline: 1 June 2016

Background

In recent years the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has examined a considerable number of State of Conservation Reports related to threats from various types of large‐scale development activities to the World Heritage properties. These activities include infrastructure development, new buildings, urban renewal and changes to the land use, some of which are insensitive or inappropriate. The Committee has also examined threats from excessive or inappropriate tourism. Many of these activities have had the potential to impact adversely on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), including integrity and authenticity of the properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. In order to evaluate satisfactorily the potential impacts, the World Heritage Committee has suggested the State Parties concerned to conduct Heritage Impact Assessments. Impact assessment has been a tool used in evaluating impacts by other sectors widely and the time has come to adapt it to suit heritage sector.

Meeting the demand of the Committee in particular, and considering the growing need for the practitioners in the heritage sector to be equipped with knowledge and skills on Heritage Impact Assessments, WHITRAP together with ICCROM initiated a training workshop in 2012 which was repeated in 2014. Since then, we have trained 30 professionals from all over the world. This announcement is for the third course to be held in 2016 on the same theme.

Objectives

• To provide participants with the knowledge on management requirements for World Heritage Sites
• To discuss reporting and monitoring requirements under the World Heritage Convention including State of Conservation reports and their implications to State Parties.
• To provide the current knowledge and skills of using Heritage Impact Assessments as a tool for evaluating impacts from various factors affecting heritage in general, and World Heritage sites in particular.
• To provide understanding of the knowledge (such as the legal frameworks) to initiate/improve Heritage Impact Assessments in respective countries of the participants.
• To promote the exchange of experiences and information among participants and the institutions.

Application

Please fill the application form and send it together with the following materials by e-mail or post to the contact address below:

• A latest and completed professional curriculum vitae;
• A 500 – 750 words report which includes the descriptions of the property/ World Heritage Site and an indication of potential development/tourism/infrastructure activities that in your view could threaten the values/OUV of the site. Alternatively, you can present a 500‐750 word report on your experience of conducting/participating in an impact assessment study.

Application Deadline: 1 June 2016

For more information, please visit: http://www.iccrom.org/heritage-impact-assessments/