1. Gamini Wijesuriya ICCROM
Thematic presentation on building capacity in the field of heritage conservation Experts reflection meeting on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties Dakar, Senegal April 2011
Gamini Wijesuriya
ICCROM

2. Objectives of this meeting:
To identify trends/themes in state of conservation reporting,
To facilitate information sharing on management approaches to common problems,
To consider what guidance is available to assist States Parties prevent and mitigate threats, and
To discuss issues to include in policy approaches to common threats.
HOW CAN CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES CONTRIBUTE TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES?
We have already seen the objectives of meeting. My presentation will be on how can capacity Building activities contribute to achieve these objectives? Here I need not emphasize that the Capacity building is one of the 5 Cs of the Committee and indeed can be considered as the key to achieve other four objectives.

3. How the SOC process has helped to shape up the Capacity Building?
My presentation
Why Capacity Building?
How the SOC process has helped to shape up the Capacity Building?
Key features of the World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy
Concluding remarks
In this presentation, I will briefly explain
Why Capacity Building?
How the SOC process has helped to shape up the Capacity Building?
Key features of the WH Capacity Building Strategy?
Concluding remarks

4. Heritage is under pressure- be they World Heritage or not
Why Capacity Building?
Heritage is under pressure- be they World Heritage or not
Heritage bwing redefined- diverse range of properties
Issues surrounding heritage conservation are growing- World Heritage has added new dimensions
Training heritage practitioners only is not sufficient- It is a myth to think that heritage professionals alone can protect heritage
Only science or art of conservation is not sufficient
More target groups involved- more themes involved- different types of work involved
Need to go beyond conventional ‘training’ approaches
Training as against Capacity Building is advocated
Why Capacity Building and not ‘ training’?

5. Issues in heritage and conservation
Meaning, identity
relevance to daily life.
Diverse values (intangibles)
ecological, sustainability
Use
Natural/Human
Visitors
Cultural context
Scientific data
Heritage
Development
Global community
OUV,
Globalization
Political
Principles,
theories
New Institutions,
Decentralizations
Resource constrains
Ownership
Old and new?

6. How the SOC process has helped to shape up the Capacity Building?
Planning/working with others
Impact Assessment
Community consultations
Negotiations-political decisions
Legislation changes
Issues of buffer zones
Setting (integrity)
………………..
Issues surrounding heritage conservation are growing
More target groups are involved
Training heritage practitioners not sufficient
Need to go beyond conventional training approaches
Training vs. Capacity Building favoured
Need for capacity building is well illustrated by the SOC reports among others.
One of the best tools available to the Committee and the advisory Bodies discuss the capacity building is the SOC reports presented yesterday. Lets look at it closely. This is the summary of SOC reports of 2008 of 158 properties.
Lets look at one factors affecting heritage- Development and infrastructure.
Look at the issues one has to deal with when speaking about the impact of development.
Training practitioners only are not going to help us.

7. How the SOC process has helped to shape up the Capacity Building?
Issues surrounding heritage conservation are growing
More target groups are involved
Training heritage practitioners not sufficient
Need to go beyond conventional training approaches
Training vs. Capacity Building favoured
Lets look at this summary of SOC reports of 2008 of 158 properties closely.
This analysis and summary of annual State of Conservation reports provides a quick snapshot of the state of conservation of World Heritage properties across the globe. The results of this analysis highlight the need for improving the capacities of State Parties to undertake the required measures, not just at the professional level, but also for a variety of other stakeholders.
Furthermore, the analysis of State of Conservation reports shows new themes which are emerging as key areas for the future capacity building. For example, a look at the State of Conservation reports this year shows that the theme of Heritage Impact Assessment is becoming increasingly important for the work of the Committee. There is a need to identify this and other key themes, and ensure that the capacity exits in State Parties to be able to deal with them the properly.
The World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy (to be presented later during this Committee session) proposes using the State of Conservation process as one means of identifying key Capacity Building needs, with the aim of proposing activities and workshops to help increase the capacity of State Parties to carry out he necessary work as required by the World Heritage Committee.

8. Capacity Building
Capacity is “the ability of individuals, organizations and societies to perform functions, solve problems, and set and achieve objectives in a sustainable manner”,
Capacity building for the effective management of World Heritage properties will:
strengthen the knowledge, abilities, skills and behavior of people with direct responsibilities for heritage conservation and management,
improve institutional structures and processes through empowering decision-makers and policy-makers,
and introduce a more dynamic relationship between heritage and its context and, in turn, greater reciprocal benefits by a more inclusive approach.
Lets look at the definition of the Capacity Building

9. New WH Capacity Building Strategy
The First Paradigm Shift: From Training to Capacity Building
a “Global Training Strategy” to a “World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy”
The Second Paradigm Shift: Connecting Capacity Building for Cultural and Natural Heritage
a combined capacity building strategy
We are proposing a new Strategy which is WH Capacity Building strategy. It has two paradigm shifts. 1. 2.
Already we are working with IUCN with financial support from Swiss government

10. Communities and Networks
New Capacity Building strategy identified three key target audiences where capacities have to be developed or strengthen:
Practitioners
Institutions
Communities and Networks
As mentioned before, this is the key to our new Strategy.

11. Practitioners Institutions
Where capacities reside: target audiences for capacity building
Principal learning areas
Practitioners
(including individuals and groups who directly intervene in the conservation and management of World Heritage properties)
Implementation of the Convention (Tentative lists, Nomination etc.)
Conservation and management issues: planning, implementation and monitoring
Technical and scientific issues
Resource utilization and management
Institutions
(including State Party heritage organizations, NGOs, the World Heritage Committee, Advisory Bodies and others institutions that have a responsibility for the enabling environment for management and conservation.)
Legislative issues
Institutional frameworks/issues (Governance, decentralization)
Financial issues
Human resources
Knowledge
Communities and Networks (including local communities living on or near properties as well as the larger networks that nurture them)
Reciprocal benefits and linking with sustainable development and communities
Stewardship
Communication / Interpretation
We also identified and elaborated respective learning areas.
In the past we had the tendency to concentrate on practitioners by providing training only. But in order to address the challenges of WH properties, we need to target all three groups and deal with related issues.
These are also related to Management systems that we talk about. We hope to bring a clarification to MS through the new resource manual.

12. mission
The purpose of this strategy is to provide a framework which favors the development of effective actions and programmes to strengthen or develop capacities of practitioners, institutions, communities and networks for the conservation and management of World Heritage by:
informing the policies and decisions by the World Heritage Committee in the area of capacity building;
orienting State Parties and other actors in the World Heritage system in planning, implementing and monitoring capacity building policies and programmes;
constituting a reference for the wider conservation community and acting as a catalyst for the development of wider cooperation to support capacity building activities for heritage conservation in general.

13. vision
We envisage a world where practitioners, institutions, communities and networks are enlightened, capable and closely aligned in their work to protect World Heritage, and heritage in general, and to give it a positive role in the life of communities.  
Practitioners will be able to better protect and manage World Heritage.
Institutions will be capable of providing support for effective conservation and management through favorable legislation and policies, establishing a more effective administrative set-up and providing financial and human resources for heritage protection.
Communities and networks will be aware of the importance of heritage and support its conservation.

14. The Advisory Bodies (ABs): The World Heritage Centre (WHC):
Providers
States Parties:
The Advisory Bodies (ABs):
The World Heritage Centre (WHC):
UNESCO Category II Centres (C2Cs):
University Programmes:
Regional Training Partners (EPA, CHDA):
UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks (UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs):
Forum UNESCO-University and Heritage (FUUH):
In developing the new strategy, we considered a variety of capacity building providers with a view to engage all of them at different levels.

15. Three levels of Strategies
Global WH Capacity Building Strategy
Regional Strategies
National level Strategies
Considering the diversity of requirements, levels of engagements, methods of deliveries etc, we proposed three levels of strategies should be developed.
If you ask me what the most critical issues in heritage conservation? I will say institutions….at national level

16. Key Goals and Summary Action Plan
Main global strategy
World Heritage Capacity Building
Key Goals and Summary Action Plan
9 Goals and related actions organized under the remaining 4 Cs
International Strategy:
Main strategy that will be discussed this year has 9 major Goals and a series of Actions aimed at three target audiences. There organized under each of the four Cs and the responsible delivery providers are identified. How to address new challenges arising out of SOC process have also been addressed. Eg. reducing risks form disasters.

17. It brought decision-makers into the discussion where possible
AFRICA 09
Was an early example of this approach 
While it is true that the main focus was professionals
Also worked on institutional capacity building. 
It brought decision-makers into the discussion where possible
Produced materials such as books, videos, and other means of strengthening institutions. Eg. legal systems, traditional conservation practices.
Programme worked with local communities every chance it had
Let me know if this makes sense.
Hope you are feeling better.structure- Impact Assessments is one of the tools available in dealing with infrastructure- Africa 2009 publication
conflicts-High level missions
Management- legal: publication, SOUTH Africa law, management planning etc. etc..

18. Conclusions
Heritage management is becoming complex and challenging.
(Paradox)? More and more State Parties are interested in inscription process.
WH process is continuously evolving.
Maintaining OUV is becoming more and more complex requiring the involvement of a wide range of target groups and addressing wide variety of issues.
It is natural that the Committee will impose more and more conditions for maintaining OUV of the properties.
Building and strengthening capacities of State Parties become all the more important for the Committee as well as to the State Parties themselves.
A collective effort as a way forward……………..Let me end with an example…..referring to comment from the director this morning.

19. Thank You