Busan Declaration puts collaboration at heart of Unesco's World Heritage strategy

BUSAN — World Heritage sites are increasingly under threat from the accelerating climate crisis and armed conflicts worldwide. Islands are disappearing beneath rising seas, glaciers are melting and unexplained wildfires are severely damaging heritage from the past.

To prevent further damage and support the recovery of affected sites, international collaboration is no longer optional but essential.

That is the central message of the Busan Declaration on World Heritage, adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 48th session on Monday.

Led by Korea, the initiative was drafted by 21 member countries of the committee and three major advisory bodies to Unesco, including the International Council on Monuments and Sites, better known as Icomos.

The declaration adds a sixth “C” — collaboration — to the existing “5Cs” that define the World Heritage Convention's principles: credibility, conservation, capacity-building, communication and communities.

The addition calls for closer cooperation in responding to the growing challenges facing heritage sites. It is the first time a new principle has been added to the convention's strategic objectives since 2007, when a fifth "C" representing community was newly added at a committee in New Zealand.

"The Busan Declaration is a very important milestone because […] it sends a message from the committee that we should not stop protecting heritage, but to the contrary, we should reinforce it to be able to continue supporting the work of the heritage," Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of the World Heritage Centre, said during a press conference in Busan on Monday.

"We should even reinforce the collaboration."

The declaration adopted Monday also emphasized the responsible use of digital technologies, including AI.

“We encourage transparent, responsible and accountable digital practices that support prevention, emergency response, recovery, long-term conservation and knowledge-sharing across generations,” the declaration reads.

The Korea Heritage Service, the host of the committee, pledged to continue discussions to ensure that the Busan Declaration does not remain a one-off commitment.

The government body announced 12 follow-up projects, including a tentatively titled Busan Forum, an annual global gathering where heritage officials from around the world will share updates on how the declaration’s agenda is being implemented in their respective countries.

"The World Heritage Committee is no longer focused solely on the inscription and conservation of World Heritage sites," Korea Heritage Service Administrator Huh Min said.

"Today's challenges — from climate change to armed conflict — cannot be addressed by any one country alone. They require collective action and international collaboration. Ultimately, our responsibility is not simply to preserve heritage as it is today, but to pass it on to future generations. That is why collaboration must remain at the heart of the committee's work."

The 48th session of the World Heritage Committee marks the first time Korea has hosted the event since joining the World Heritage Convention in 1988.

The committee will examine 33 nomination dossiers, including 30 new nominations and three proposed extensions or significant modifications to existing properties. The session runs through July 29 in Busan.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [[email protected]]