An Analysis of the Measures Employed by UNESCO in Pursuit of Universal Representation

Abstract

The World Heritage List has been described as ‘the most universal international legal instrument in heritage conservation’ (Mechtild 2006:1). Compiled by the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the list is a compendium of the world’s most important heritage sites that, at the time of writing, featured some 981 inscriptions. According to the organisation’s 1972 charter, UNESCO aims to protect the most important elements of ‘the world heritage of mankind as a whole’, judged to be those which have ‘Outstanding Universal Value’. Implicit in this charter is the drive towards a universal list which includes representation of the heritage of all of humanity; a goal codified in UNESCO’s 1994 ‘Global Strategy for a Representative, Balanced and Credible World Heritage List’ (UNESCO 1994). The organisation’s resulting drive for more universal representation has followed a number of paths, and this thesis will evaluate the various manners in which UNESCO is attempting to become more universally representative.