UNESCO launches a year-long program on the future of heritage

CAIRO – 1 March 2022: UNESCO has launched a year-long program to mobilize deep reflections on the future of heritage entitled The Next 50: World Heritage as a source of resilience, humanity and innovation.

It includes events, campaigns, initiatives and a space for conversation and exploration about the role of World Heritage, in addition to unlisted heritage in the face of global challenges.

Prominent thinkers and stars from various fields including the sciences, social sciences and humanities will also be invited to imagine the world heritage on its centenary.

The program coincides with the celebration in 2022 of the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the World Heritage Convention, while the 1,154 natural and cultural heritage sites in more than 160 countries represent a testament to the global recognition and fulfillment of this pioneering legal framework.

World Heritage is the most extraordinary expression of humanity and the treasures of the planet. Through the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, countries around the world pledged to protect places of outstanding universal value through local, national, regional and international actions according to the UNESCO website.

This comes at a watershed moment, as many locations around the world are experiencing significant impacts of climate change, while the increasing volume of tourism has resulted in environmental and social pressures on both real estate and surrounding communities. The Corona pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of the heritage ecosystem in the face of the sudden crisis, as evidenced by the closure of 89 percent of World Heritage sites.