Recently acquired by ICOMOS Documentation Centre

UNESCO, Cultural Heritage, and Outstanding Universal Value

Dr. Sophia Labadi

This book explores the international legal framework developed by UNESCO to identify and protect world heritage and its implementation at the national level. Drawing on close policy analysis of UNESCO’s major documents, extensive professional experience at UNESCO, as well as in-depth analyses of case studies from Asia, Europe, and Latin America, Sophia Labadi offers a nuanced discussion of the constitutive role of national understandings of a universalist framework. 

The discussion departs from considerations of the World Heritage Convention as Eurocentric and offers a more complex analysis of how official narratives relating to non-European and non-traditional heritage mark a subversion of a dominant and canonical European representation of heritage. It engages simultaneously with a diversity of discourses across the humanities and social sciences and with related theories pertaining not only to tangible and intangible heritage, conservation, and archaeology but also political science, social theory, tourism and development studies, economics, cultural, and gender studies. In doing so, it provides a critical review of many key concepts, including tourism, development, sustainability, intangible heritage, and authenticity.



Labadi, Sophia. UNESCO, Cultural Heritage, and Outstanding Universal Value: value-based analyses of the World Heritage and Intangible Heritage Conventions. Lanham, Maryland, USA, AltaMira Press, 2013. (Archaeology in society series). Incl. bibl. and index. ISBN: 978-0-7591-2256-7

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage's Tenth anniversary 2003-2013

Share your activities!

From its adoption in October 2003 until the submission of the first periodic reports in 2011 and 2012, the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has achieved many milestones at both the international and national levels.

The tenth anniversary offers a wide range of actors the opportunity to make an initial assessment and to explore the key challenges, constraints and possibilities related to its implementation.

All stakeholders involved in the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage are invited to share on this site the events and activities they organize to celebrate this anniversary. All activities can then be immediately consulted on a map, a calendar and a list in their original language.

 

 

Visit dedicated website

"Connecting", the Euromed Heritage 4 newsletter: new issue online

Connecting n. 5, the EH 4 newsletter, is now available.



This edition focuses on gastronomy and food which are an essential aspect of Mediterranean culture. High moments in peoples’ lives are organised around food and sharing it with family and community members. You will learn about this unique Mediterranean heritage, made of fresh ingredients, freshly baked bread, a rich selection of wines, olive oil in a whole range of fruitiness and flavours, and a dash of “farniente” to go...

Main features:

- Food practice as heritage - by Christiane Dabdoub Nasser, RMSU Team Leader

- The Mediterranean cuisine: a delight in the unity and diversity - by Josseline Rigot, Culinary Reviewer

- For the protection of the living heritage in the Mediterranean - interview with Fleur Perrier de la Bathie, coordinator of Euromed Heritage 4 project “Medliher”

- Slow food picks up pace - by Christiane Dabdoub Nasser, RMSU Team Leader

- Selection of EH 4 best pictures

Download the complete newsletter (PDF, 1.7 MB)

Previous issues

Proceedings of the Scientific Symposium 'Finding the spirit of place' (Quebec 2008) - available online

The proceedings of the Scientific Symposium "Finding the spirit of place: between the tangible and the intangible", held in Quebec, Canada (29th of Sept. - 4th of October 2008) during the 16th ICOMOS General Assembly, are now available online in the ICOMOS website.

Les Actes du Symposium Scientifique "Où se cache l'esprit du lieu?: entre le matériel et l'immatériel", tenu à Québec, Canada (du 29 septembre au 5 octobre 2008) pendant la 16ème Assemblée Générale de l'ICOMOS, sont désormais en ligne sur le site web de l'ICOMOS.

Download the proceedings / Télécharger les actes

Kit of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

The kit on intangible cultural heritage is a basic reference and pedagogical instrument for promoting and ensuring an effective understanding of intangible cultural heritage and the 2003 Convention by governments, communities, experts, concerned UN agencies, NGOs and interested individuals. It has been published in September 2009 on the occasion of the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held from 28 September to 2 October 2009,

Conceived as a flexible tool, in which new brochures adapted to the local situation can be included, the kit should be continuously developed and translated into as many languages as possible.

The first version has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Government of Norway. It is composed of 7 brochures and fact sheets on 12 safeguarding projects, all downloadable.

Download the Kit - [English][Français]

Source: UNESCO Culture Sector - Intangible Cultural Heritage

4th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Abu Dhabi (Sept 28-Oct. 2, 2009)

The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage takes place in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) from 28 September to 2 October 2009. The Committee will, among other things, inscribe the first intangible cultural heritage elements on the Urgent Safeguarding List and the Representative List, as well as select safeguarding programmes, projects and activities that it considers best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention. One hundred and eleven nominations for the Representative List have been examined from 11 to 15 May 2009 by a subsidiary body of the Committee. In Abu Dhabi, the Committee will decide whether the elements shall or shall not be inscribed.

See the Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO) website

The Intangible Heritage Messenger - Newsletter n° 10, October 2008

The UNESCO Intangible Heritage Section (ITH) has published the last issue of the 'Intangible Heritage Messenger' newsletter, available online:

- The Intangible Heritage Messenger - Newsletter n° 10, October 2008
[English][Arabic]

- Le Messager du Patrimoine Immatériel - n° 10, Octobre 2008
[Français]

- El Mensajero del Patrimonio Inmaterial - n° 10, Octubre de 2008 [Español]

Draft of the Quebec Declaration available for your comments

The Draft of the "Quebec Declaration on the preservation of the spirit of place through the safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage" is available on the following blog for your comments and suggestions:

See the Quebec Declaration

The Intangible Heritage Messenger - Newsletter n° 9, June 2008

The last issue of the Intanbible Heritage Messenger (N° 9, June 2008), the newsletter of the UNESCO Culture Sector - Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), is available on their website.
English - Français - Español

Convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage - General Assembly of the States Parties

The second session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will take place from 16 to 19 June 2008 at UNESCO Headquarters.

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La deuxième session de l'Assemblée générale des États parties à la Convention pour la sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel immatériel aura lieu du 16 au 19 juin 2008 au Siège de l'UNESCO.

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La segunda reunión de la Asamblea General de Estados Partes en la Convención para la Salvaguardia del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial tendrá lugar del 16 al 19 de junio de 2008 en la Sede de la UNESCO

More information in the UNESCO Culture Sector - Intangible heritage website