World Heritage sites situated in living urban fabric are often threatened by development pressures and subject to urban renewal and change. Like all heritage sites, they should be seen in a total context of conservation and development. They have had a catalytic effect in terms of focusing consideration of particular values but need to be integrated in an overall framework in which their relations with contiguous and related areas are also recognised.
The development of the World Heritage Global Strategy since 1994 has opened new opportunities for the recognition of living cultures in World Heritage history. Sustainability of human resources encompasses an attachment to valuable places with a traditional significance and a source for cultural advancement. Conservation initiatives and programmes must ensure both economic and cultural sustainability. Policy commitment by central and local governments and at community levels should be seen as a pre-condition to such sustainable conservation of cultural heritage. The world heritage sites discussed are as follows:

Heritage sites listed on the World Heritage tentative list

Xi'an	China
Hoi An	Vietnam

It was agreed that the issues raised and discussed be grouped under the following sub-headings:

1. Development of human resources
2. Institutional framework
3. Conservation technology
4. Funding
5. Ethics of cooperation

1. Development of human resources

1. 1 Community Participation

Participation of the community in conservation activity is central to its effort, as it is they who, in the final analysis, are the custodians of their heritage. Within the local community, traditional wisdom and knowledge will greatly enrich the understanding of the site. Engagement and advocacy by the community is integral to the success of the project and should be promoted as a form of capacity building for the development of human resources in conservation endeavours.

Support to skilled craftspersons and artisans through competitive economic incentives and, where appropriate, upgradation of techniques will not only contribute to the conservation endeavour but in the long term sustain traditional skills. Equally, special recognition of master craftspersons as practiced in some countries is seen as an important measure to support skills essential to the conservation process.

While continued education and training are widely recognized as a critical aspect of conservation, it is important to stress that this needs to be constantly. reiterated, expanded and updated. Investment in conservation education and training needs renewed emphasis in all countries.

2. Institutional Framework

2.1 Heritage Administration

Continuous attention must be paid to the formulation and establishment of new institutional frameworks for heritage administration adaptive to contemporary social and economic conditions and conservation requirements. These formulations should be adequately flexible to include and empower non- government organisations, citizens action groups, academic institutions, expert consultants and the corporate sector alongside government agencies.

The role played by the local government agencies must ensure horizontal linkages between varied governmental and non-governmental bodies at both the superstructural and local levels. The concept of governance, which implies the joint action of governmental and community groups, should be promoted to facilitate the integration of conservation and development.

3.1 Urban Space

It is important to respect underlying patterns which inform the use of resources and space over territories. This is a critical matter as the fragmentation and increasingly contested nature of the use of public spaces, particularly in cities, so rapidly leading to the extended deterioration of irreplaceable traditional cityscapes. The management of change is emphasised, with a need to promote a more humane and sustainable form of urbanism consistent with both conservation and development.

Buffer zones have one or more purposes, functional and cultural, to retain and even enhance significance. The density and carrying-capacity of use in buffer zones, their nature and specific mixture are considered crucial to the achievement of their particular purpose. Buffer zones, no matter how small, are considered a critical instrument for safeguarding the pre-eminent position of a World Heritage Site. This must be included as an integral part of all master plans and due consideration given when assessing major development projects. Buffer zones, however, must not prevent or preclude the total view of the entire urban context in which the World Heritage Site or Sites are located.

The use of traditional materials is universally recognised as an essential aspect of authenticity in conservation. However, difficulties in procurement, rising costs and the shortage of traditional skills and craftspersons are ever increasing problems. Sustained efforts must be made to develop new possibilities for generating supplies, replacement of materials and the maintenance of craft skills.

In view of rapid changes, particularly in traditional societies, knowledge critical to conservation and originating from different sources is important to secure optimum outcomes. In many cases, traditional community knowledge is essential and professionals should secure it and rely on it. This requires a special focus of attention to promoting the research and documentation of both cultural products and traditional techniques and skills. Particularly when the integration of traditional groups into modern development is sought, the handing down and training of these groups in the use of basic planning institutions are vital. New and dynamic forms of professional and community exchanges are needed in sustainable partnerships.

4. Funding

4.1 Non-renewable Resources

Heritage is a non-renewable resource which must be conserved as an invaluable asset to the nation and the world at large.

Conservation of heritage must be recognised as a significant economic investment especially with regard to its ability to generate revenue from several avenues including domestic and international tourism, and its potential for creating direct and indirect employment opportunities. The tourism industry and leisure economy which thrive the cultural heritage, should be effectively taxed so as to contribute directly to the conservation process.

Efforts must also be made to generate funds and other resources locally as part of the contribution of the community. The increasing need to mobilise private funding, while welcome, does pose the potential danger of adversely affecting the monuments and sites. Guidelines should thus be developed to ensure appropriate mechanisms to acknowledge such sponsorship, while taking protective measures against such dangers.

Funding availability and preferences of donor agencies, national or international, individual or institutional, however important, should not be the principal factor in determining conservation priorities.

5. Ethics of Cooperation for Conservation

5.1 Capacity Building

The principle of capacity building, i.e. the development of national and/or local capabilities, should be recognised as a basic principle underlying all programmes of cooperation between countries. It should be included as a significant component of project budgets and be independently evaluated during and at the completion of a programme. Primacy of place should be given to sustainable training programmes commensurate with project requirements.

In international cooperation, attention must be paid to the protection of intellectual property rights, especially to ensure that national and/or local information bases, resources and capabilities are not exploited and hoarded and that the collaboration does not lead to increasing the knowledge, technology and expertise gap between countries, thus contributing to the disenfranchisement of communities from their heritage.