From 23 to 25 April 2018, the city of Zacatecas (Mexico) will play host to the sub-regional meeting to discuss and adopt the Action Plan for World Heritage in Mexico and Central America (PAMAC), 2018-2023.

Approximately 30 national focal points and site managers, as well as representatives from the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Convention, will gather to adopt a common agenda of work for the sub-region that reflects the greatest challenges and opportunities for strengthening the conservation and management of World Heritage in the 7 participating State Parties. The participants will also adopt a sub-regional Strategy for Capacity Building and a Programme of Pilot Projects within the framework of the priorities identified in the Action Plan.

The meeting has been planned as follow up on the adoption by the World Heritage Committee of the Action Plan for World Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean Region (Decision 38 COM 10B.4). It is jointly organized by the World Heritage Centre, the Direction of World Heritage of the Secretariat of Culture in Mexico, and the Category 2 Centre Zacatecas, with the financial support of the Government of Mexico.

Key themes to discuss will include:

  • strengthening the application of the Convention
  • improving the representation of natural and mixed properties in Tentative Lists and the World Heritage List,
  • incorporating sustainable tourism strategies within management systems,
  • promoting inter-institutional and participatory management of properties,
  • elaborating effective Environmental Impact Assessments and Heritage Impact Assessments,
  • and, ensuring effective disaster risk management.