Introduction of Management Planning for Cultural World Heritage Sites

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This chapter traces the introduction of management planning for cultural World Heritage Sites from a vaguely worded requirement in 1977 to a fully developed obligation in 2005 and beyond. It examines various aspects in the evolution towards a mature management planning framework, including issues of traditional management, participation of local communities, and relationship to the values of the property. In the early years, natural World Heritage Sites benefitted from the expertise and previous practical experience in management planning brought to the table by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), advisors on natural World Heritage Sites. The cultural sector was slow to catch up to its natural heritage counterparts, but by the late 1990s, management planning requirements for cultural sites were equivalent to those for natural sites. These obligations were formally set out in major revisions to the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention in 2005. Requirements have not changed since the drafting of the 2005 Operational Guidelines. Management plans or documented management systems must be prepared for all sites and must explain how the outstanding universal value of a property should be preserved, preferably through participatory means. Drawing on the experience of the 1990s, the 2005 guidelines recognize that such planning needs to remain flexible. The chapter concludes that the World Heritage Convention has played a major standard-setting role in the evolution of management provisions. Good practices in implementing management planning guidelines will contribute to the protection of these special places for present and future generations.