World Heritage Site Managers Forum 2018

Considering that the World Heritage List includes over 1.000 properties and a global territory of over 276 million hectares under its protection, increased understanding of the World Heritage decision-making processes among site managers has become crucial in order to achieve more effective protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage properties. Such improved understand will allow the Convention to fulfil its potential as a tool and catalyst for World Heritage protection and heritage protection in general.

At the same time, future improvements to the World Heritage decision-making procedures must build on and respond to greater engagement of those dealing with World Heritage on a day-to-day basis. Strong bridges should be built between the procedural core of the World Heritage system and its outer segments – those in the field whose daily work to safeguard Outstanding Universal Value constitute the real expression of the Convention.

In this context, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Host Country of the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee, will continue the “World Heritage Site Managers Forum” initiated by Poland during the 41st session of the Committee in 2017, to unite representatives from World Heritage properties with those at the heart of World Heritage procedures. The Site Managers Forum will be held in Manama, from 21 to 28 June 2018.