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Top UNESCO officials on Monday called for an urgent "global awakening" and collective preventive measures to safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage from the escalating threats of climate change and armed conflicts. The appeal came during a press conference in Busan, South Korea, the host city of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, as reported by Yonhap News.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Nayef Al-Fayez emphasized that the ongoing destruction of heritage sites places a heavy responsibility on the global community to come together for a solution. He strongly called for prioritizing preventive measures over post-disaster repairs, noting that while physical damage can sometimes be fixed, the mental toll on affected societies is rarely possible to overcome.

"Fulfilling this responsibility is not the task of governments alone," Al-Fayez said during the media event at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center. "It is also the role of those who are living there, working there, and visiting those sites, that collectively we should work together to make sure that these wonderful places and sites are protected and maintained in the right manners."

Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center, echoed this urgency, warning that global heritage is currently under an "unprecedented stress" according to Yonhap.

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The 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, held from July 20-29 in Busan, marks the first time South Korea has hosted the meeting since joining the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in 1988. As of Thursday, a record 3,111 people from 162 countries had registered to take part, according to data from the Korea Heritage Service.

The session began with an opening ceremony on Sunday. The committee is reviewing nominations for inscription, assessing the conservation status of listed sites, and discussing broader heritage protection issues.

In a separate development, the K-Heritage House pavilion, set up at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center to showcase South Korea's heritage, drew over 52,000 visitors by Friday. As of Friday, 52,758 people had visited the pavilion, according to the Korea Heritage Service. Dozens of institutions, including government bodies, local authorities, and Buddhist organizations, helped organize the pavilion, which provides exhibitions, performances, and hands-on programs for delegates and visitors.

Among the installed booths are those promoting heritage sites and candidates on UNESCO's tentative list, including the Gaya Tumuli, a group of ancient burial mounds; the Getbol Korean Tidal Flats, a vast expanse of biodiverse wetlands; the Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream, featuring prehistoric rock carvings; and the Sansa, or Buddhist mountain monasteries of Korea. The living heritage section features performances and craft demonstrations by designated masters of national intangible heritage. Fourteen artisans are taking part in joint presentations of 11 traditional skills, including "gat" (traditional hat) making.

Key claims

  • UNESCO officials called for a global awakening to protect cultural and natural heritage, citing threats from climate change and armed conflicts. (Yonhap News)
  • UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Nayef Al-Fayez emphasized the importance of preventive measures over post-disaster repairs. (Yonhap News)
  • The 48th session of the World Heritage Committee is being held in Busan, South Korea, from July 20-29. (Yonhap News)
  • The committee adopted the Busan Declaration on World Heritage. (Yonhap News)
  • Over 52,000 people visited the K-Heritage House pavilion by Friday. (Yonhap News)
  • A record 3,111 people from 162 countries registered to take part in the session. (Yonhap News)
  • The Busan Declaration proposes adding collaboration as a sixth strategic objective to the World Heritage Convention. (Yonhap News)
  • The Korea Heritage Service will roll out 12 follow-up programs to translate the declaration into concrete action. (Yonhap News)
The Busan Declaration was adopted by a unanimous decision of all 21 member states and key advisory bodies of the committee. It urges enhanced global coordination to address increasingly complex risks to World Heritage sites, including armed conflict, climate change, and development pressures, according to the Korea Heritage Service.

A central element of the declaration is the proposal to add "collaboration" as a sixth strategic objective to the World Heritage Convention's existing "five Cs" -- credibility, conservation, capacity-building, communication, and communities. Officials said the addition reflects the growing need for joint responses among countries and institutions to challenges that no single nation can resolve alone.

The declaration also highlights, for the first time in the World Heritage framework, the need for responsible use of digital technologies, such as generative AI. The Korea Heritage Service said it would immediately roll out 12 follow-up programs to translate the declaration into concrete action.