Participation in the World Heritage Young Professionals Forum 2024
From July 14 to 23, 2024, Mr. KANEKO Yutaro, Research Fellow of the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation (Secretariat of the Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage), participated in the “World Heritage Young Professionals Forum 2024,” held in New Delhi, India, as part of the 46th World Heritage Committee.
This forum is a key initiative of UNESCO’s World Heritage Education Program, aiming at promoting intercultural understanding and exchange through interactions among young people from around the world and experts in cultural and natural heritage, as well as exploring new roles for the youth in heritage conservation. For this year’s forum, 50 participants were selected (20 participants from India and 30 from other countries) from 31 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands out of more than 3,500 applicants. The participants discussed the issues and opportunities related to World Heritage sites from their respective national and professional perspectives. Under the main theme, “World Heritage in the 21st Century—Enhancing Capacities and Exploring Opportunities for Youth,” the program focused on four key topics: climate change, innovative technologies, communities, and sustainable tourism. The participants engaged in a rich program to learn about World Heritage from various perspectives, which included site visits to museums and World Heritage sites such as Taj Mahal, lectures by heritage experts, and discussions and presentations among the participants. At the end of the forum, a statement summarizing recommendations from young professionals regarding World Heritage was prepared and presented to the World Heritage Committee, based on the knowledge and experiences gained from the forum.
Mr. KANEKO was deeply inspired by the young professionals from African and Latin American countries who are playing leading roles at the stages of nomination, protection, and management of World Heritage sites, actively addressing various challenges faced by these sites. However, many participants from these countries pointed out that fragile protection systems due to a lack of funding and human resources are common, highlighting the need for Japan to extend further support in the field of international cooperation in cultural heritage. As one of the young professionals who will be responsible for future heritage protection, he will continue to raise awareness of these issues and strive to contribute to the protection of heritage both domestically and internationally.
UNESCO Website for the World Heritage Young Professionals Forum
https://whc.unesco.org/en/youth-forum/