Organizers

Host

  • The City Government of Vigan

Partners

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.

Methodology

Training will be based on a multiple activity models including lectures, case studies, practical hands‐on exercises, site visits, group work and classroom discussions. Participants will need to be active and involved during three stages: pre‐course preparation, course attendance, and post‐course follow‐up, networking and monitoring. During the course, participants will be expected to share their own knowledge and experiences, presenting case studies, participating in course discussions and actively engaging in group work and hands‐on exercises.

Participants

The international course is designed for a maximum of 20 persons. Priority is given to:

  • Mid-career heritage practitioners/decision-makers interested in engaging Heritage Impact Assessments as a tool in assessing impacts on heritage as well as society.
  • Priority will be given to those from State Parties that have been requested to carry out Heritage Impact Assessments at World Heritage properties located within their territory by the World Heritage Committee.
  • Those in a position to carry the messages of the course to a broad audience (for example, trainers who are able to reach a large audience over time) are encouraged to apply.

Teaching Team

The teaching staff includes leading heritage conservation professionals with international and regional experience from ICCROM, ICOMOS, IUCN, UNESCO, WHITRAP and regional institutions. These experts will present a broad international perspective in their fields of expertise.

Working Language

The official language of the course is English. All course content and output will be in English. Participants should be proficient in English including reading, writing, making presentations and joining in discussions.

Certificate

A certificate of attendance given by both the WHITRAP and ICCROM will be awarded to participants who satisfactorily complete the course.

Course Fee: $950 USD

Travel, accommodation and living expenses

Participants will be responsible for their international round trip travel costs to and from the training venue. In order to cover accommodation and living expenses during the course, participants should plan for a minimum allowance of $700 for the entire period.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to seek financial support from sources such as governmental institutions, employers and funding agencies.

Scholarship

According to WHITRAP Shanghai’s mandate, it offers a limited number of scholarships to the candidates from the State Parties in the Asia‐Pacific Region who have been selected to participate but are not in a position to secure funding. Due to the shrinking budget, the scholarship only includes domestic accommodation and/or daily subsistence allowance.

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

Correspondence

E-mail is encouraged. All correspondence concerning the above course should be addressed in English to:

Ms. LI Hong
World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO,
Shanghai Centre 3rd Floor Wen Yuan Building,
1239 Siping Rd.,
Tongji University, Shanghai 200092,
P.R. China

Tel: 0086 21 65987687 ext. 8010
Fax: 0086 21 65982058
E-mail: whitrap_training@163.com
Website: www.whitr‐ap.org