Indigenous Heritage Values
The UNESCO World Heritage Convention (1972), as a state-governed Convention, was not founded with the notion of human rights or participation by custodian communities as a core principle. Though the policies and guidelines for the implementation of the Convention have evolved over the course of its history, constraints remain in allowing a fully participatory approach to the nomination, description and monitoring processes of World Heritage sites. Yet, numerous indigenous territories are located on what are now World Heritage sites.
Acknowledging this lack of a holistic perspective, the International Indigenous Peoples Forum for World Heritage (IIPFWH), IUCN, the two cultural Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee - International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) - and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre aim to achieve real change in the engagement of Indigenous peoples in the processes of the World Heritage Convention.
In 2015, the specific reference to the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of Indigenous peoples was incorporated into the ‘Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention’ (hereafter the Operational Guidelines) (paragraphs 40 and 123), as well as the adoption of the ‘Policy Document for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Process of the World Heritage Convention’, which highlights the recognition of Indigenous peoples’ rights. Furthermore, the integration of human rights-based approaches, coupled with the alignment of the Operational Guidelines with UNESCO’s 2019 Policy on Engaging with Indigenous Peoples, has further embedded FPIC processes within the World Heritage system. These developments are consistent with international standards and established good practice. Despite these recent changes to the Operational Guidelines regarding the recognition of rights of Indigenous peoples, including their consent, the FPIC process within the World Heritage system remains challenging due to several reasons.
To improve the recognition of Indigenous Heritage Values in World Heritage and in support of the important work done by IIPFWH, ICCROM, ICOMOS and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, IUCN seeks to invite Indigenous peoples’ voices in the IUCN World Heritage Outlook process. IIPFWH is officially recognised under the World Heritage Convention and is working with IUCN to build towards the inclusion of Indigenous Heritage Values in the IUCN World Heritage Outlook process, including by creating a new and dedicated section of each Conservation Outlook Assessment.
The IUCN World Heritage Outlook offers a space for Indigenous peoples to share perspectives of the values of a place to which they are connected to, without being subject to a government filter. By promoting Indigenous Heritage values in the IUCN World Heritage Outlook, additional qualities of a place can be highlighted, which deserve wider recognition.
Other important values
Statements of Outstanding Universal Value (SOUV) is a document that justifies the exceptional significance of a site to reason its inscription on the World Heritage List. While the concept aims to be inclusive, SOUV does not fully represent all important values and perspectives. One aim of the IUCN World Heritage Outlook is to give recognition to important values beyond the SOUV that are significant for past, present and future generations. The IUCN World Heritage Outlook aims to capture some of these values as they are often interconnected, to produce a more holistic view for nature conservation.
Other important values refer to those that are of overall significance for the site but are not captured in the values sections elsewhere, for example those related to geology or culture for sites inscribed under a biodiversity criterion. The cultural values identified through this section are significant in terms of the site’s natural values, highlighting nature-culture interlinkages. The IUCN World Heritage Outlook does not assess the cultural values and attributes for which a site was inscribed under the World Heritage Convention. Therefore, the cultural values captured through the Outlook process do not fully represent the cultural diversity of the sites. Cultural values include values that different cultures, religions and groups of people place on natural features of the site that have meaning and importance for them, for example Indigenous Heritage Values, as mentioned above.
