Pacific Islands World Heritage Workshop regarding capacity-building for heritage site management

In the framework of the World Heritage Pacific 2009 Programme, which was approved by the World Heritage Committee in 2004, a Pacific Islands World Heritage Workshop was held from 13 to 17 October 2008 in Cairns, Australia.

The Workshop gathered, which benefited financial support from Australia and the World Heritage Fund,  as many as 80 participants including representatives from 14 Pacific Island countries in order to achieve the following objectives:

1. To build capacity/skill in development of management plans and systems for cultural and natural heritage, and share best practice management lessons learnt;
2. To review the implementation situation of the Pacific 2009 Programme, and to prepare the successor to the Programme;
3. To discuss the future establishment of the Pacific World Heritage Fund which was proposed in its Appeal presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2007.

In addition, participants discussed some specific challenges the heritage of the Pacific faces such as an impact of the climate change on both natural and cultural heritage, impact of globalization and the vulnerability of the Pacific countries to cope with it, and ensuring community involvement in each stage of the World Heritage process. The participants also shared their observations on other issues such as recognition and participation of local indigenous community in heritage management, tourism management, and water and waste management.

Voice from the Pacific

Interviews of the representatives from the Pacific countries regarding the efforts for conservation and management of the heritage and the World Heritage Convention. This clip was prepared by the Australian Department of Environment, Heritage and Water.

Participants:

• Cook Islands
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Marshall Islands
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Niue
• Palau
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Tokelau
• Tuvalu
• Nauru
• Vanuatu
• ICOMOS International
• ICOMOS Australia
• ICOMOS Pacifika
• IUCN International
• IUCN Australia
• UNESCO Apia Office
• UNESCO Jakarta Office
• World Heritage Centre
• Local aboriginal, traditional land-owners from Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics of Queensland (two World Heritage properties)

Organizers:

• Department of the Environment and Water Resources of Australia
• World Heritage Centre
• New Zealand government

Sponsors:

• World Heritage Fund
• Australian Funds-in-Trust
• Australian National Commission for UNESCO
• New Zealand Government
• AusAID