I. convention and organization for the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage

Protecting the world cultural and natural heritage is an international cooperation activity actively carried out by UNESCO for many years. 1972 1 16 10 In October, UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (hereinafter referred to as the Convention) at its17th General Conference in Paris.

The Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage clearly defines the standards of cultural and natural heritage, and at the same time determines the guidelines for the implementation of the Convention. The Convention is an international norm and document with extensive and far-reaching influence formulated and implemented by UNESCO on a global scale. One of the main tasks of the Convention is to determine the world-wide cultural and natural heritage so that the international community can protect it as the common heritage of mankind. The purpose of the Convention is to promote cooperation and mutual support among countries and peoples, and make positive contributions to the protection of the common heritage of mankind.

In order to implement the provisions of the Convention, UNESCO established the World Heritage Committee in 1976, which is an intergovernmental international cooperation agency. The Committee is composed of 265,438+0 countries elected by the Assembly of States Parties to the Convention and meets once a year. It has three main tasks:

First, cultural relics, historical sites and natural heritage recognized by the world as having outstanding significance and universal value are included in the World Heritage List.

The second is to manage the World Heritage Fund and examine and approve applications for technical and financial assistance from various countries.

The third is to monitor the protection and management of the projects listed in the World Heritage List, and promote the improvement and improvement of their protection and management level. UNESCO also established the World Heritage Center as the secretariat of the World Heritage Committee to handle the daily affairs in the implementation of the Convention.

Two. Sources of funds and technical support

The World Heritage Fund was established specifically for the implementation of the Convention, aiming at providing necessary help for the protection of cultural and natural heritage listed in the list.

The funds of the World Heritage Fund mainly come from two aspects:

First of all, the amount paid by States parties to the convention is fixed. According to the regulations, countries should pay 1% of the membership fee to UNESCO.

Secondly, voluntary contributions from States parties, grants from other institutions or individuals and funds obtained through national or international special sales activities.

The fund is mainly used for various forms of assistance and technical cooperation, including research, expert consulting services, training professionals in protection or restoration technology, and providing equipment to determine or eliminate the causes of heritage damage and take protective measures. Although the scale and quantity of the fund are still insignificant compared with the demand, it has played a certain role in supporting and assisting some important heritage protection projects.

In order to improve the level of protection, assessment, monitoring and technical assistance, UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee specially invited three international authoritative professional institutions as their professional advisory bodies. These institutions send experts to help with the inspection, evaluation, monitoring, technical training, financial and technical assistance of the heritage. These three institutions are:

The International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is mainly responsible for cultural heritage work. Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Paris, France, the organization is the only international non-governmental organization engaged in the application and promotion of theories, methods and science and technology of cultural heritage protection.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN, formerly known as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is mainly responsible for the work of natural heritage. The organization was founded in 1948 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Its main task is to promote and encourage the protection and sustainable utilization of natural resources.

The International Cultural Relics Protection and Restoration Research Center (ICCROM) is mainly responsible for the technical training, research, publicity and services of experts in the field of cultural heritage. Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Rome, Italy, the organization is an international specialized institution engaged in training, expert service, literature and research in the field of cultural heritage.

At present (up to199965438+February), 149 countries in the world have become parties to the Convention, and 63 1 sites are listed in the World Heritage List, including 48 1 sites for cultural heritage and/kloc-sites for natural heritage. These world heritages recognized by UNESCO are rare and irreplaceable properties of human beings, and their values are true and unique. Once listed, it shows that they are owned by all mankind and will be protected and collectively assisted by all members of UNESCO. Even in war, it cannot be the target of military strikes.

Three. Definitions and standards

World heritage is divided into natural heritage, cultural heritage, mixture of natural heritage and cultural heritage and cultural landscape. World Heritage has clear definitions and standards for nomination by member countries and approval by the Heritage Committee.

1. Cultural heritage

Cultural relics: buildings, sculptures and paintings with outstanding and universal value, components or structures with archaeological significance, inscriptions, caves, settlements and various cultural relics from the perspective of history, art or science.

Architectural complex: from the historical, artistic or scientific point of view, because of its architectural form, identity and position in the landscape, it has outstanding and universal value of individuals or interrelated architectural complexes.

Sites: man-made projects or masterpieces of man and nature and archaeological sites with outstanding and universal value from the perspective of history, aesthetics, ethnology or anthropology.

Its criteria are:

(1) represents a unique artistic achievement and a creative masterpiece of genius.

(2) It can have a significant impact on the development of architectural art, memorial art, planning or landscape design in a certain period or in a certain cultural region of the world.

(3) It can provide a unique or at least special witness for a disappearing civilization or cultural tradition.

(4) It can be used as an outstanding example of a building, a group of buildings or a landscape to show an important stage (or stages) in human history.

(5) It can be regarded as an outstanding example of traditional human habitation or use, representing one (or several) cultures, especially under the influence of irreversible changes.

(6) It has a direct and substantial connection with events of special universal significance or current traditions or ideas or beliefs or literary and artistic works (the Committee believes that this paragraph can only be the reason for listing in the catalogue under some special circumstances or when the standards work together with other standards).

2. Natural heredity

From an aesthetic or scientific point of view, a natural feature consisting of geological and biological structures or such structural groups with outstanding and universal value.

From a scientific or conservation point of view, it has a prominent and universal geological and natural geographical structure, as well as a clearly defined habitat for endangered animal and plant species.

From the point of view of science, protection or natural beauty, a natural scenic spot or a clearly defined natural zone with outstanding and universal value.

Its criteria are:

(1) is an outstanding example, representing an important stage in the history of earth modernization.

(2) It constitutes an outstanding example representing important geological processes, biological evolution processes and the relationship between human beings and the natural environment.

(3) Unique, rare or wonderful natural phenomena, landforms or areas with rare natural beauty.

(4) Habitats of rare and endangered animals and plants.

3. Types of cultural landscape:

(1) The landscape intentionally designed and built by human beings. Including gardens and parks built for aesthetic reasons, they are often (but not always) associated with religious or other conceptual buildings or groups.

(2) The organic evolution of landscape. It originated from the initial social, economic, administrative and religious needs, and developed into the present form through the connection or adaptation with the surrounding natural environment. It also includes two subcategories: first, the remains (fossils) landscape represents an evolutionary process that has ended in a certain period in the past, whether it is sudden or gradual. They have outstanding and universal value because their distinctive features are still reflected in the physical objects. Secondly, the sustainable landscape, which maintains a positive social role in the local society related to the traditional lifestyle, is still in the process of its own evolution, and at the same time shows the physical evidence of its evolution and development in history.

The novelty of the World Heritage Convention is that it links nature protection with cultural protection, but people almost always think that the two are irrelevant. Everything in the world can be summed up in two aspects: natural and artificial. For a long time, nature and culture have been regarded as two opposing factors. However, the existence of nature and artificial creation have different properties, but they are inseparable and complement each other. The most beautiful projects created by human beings are often due to their harmonious unity with the natural environment, and some of the most spectacular natural landscapes are often deeply branded with human activities.

China officially joined the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage on June 22nd, 1985+065438. Once a country has signed the Convention, it must ensure the protection of the relics and sites on its territory that are considered to be of outstanding universal value. In a sense, these countries have provided the world with the greatest wealth they have, which should be left intact to future generations. In order to protect these heritages, they can get international assistance.

Starting from 1986, China began to declare and protect the world heritage. By the end of 1999, 30 world heritage projects had been declared to the World Heritage Committee, and 23 of them were approved to be included in the World Heritage List. Of the 23 approved sites, 65,438+06 are cultural heritage, 3 are natural heritage and 4 are cultural and natural heritage (see table). There are 23 world cultural heritages, accounting for only 4% of the world's existing list of more than 500 heritages, which is very disproportionate to China, an ancient civilization with a splendid culture of 5,000 years.