Joint workshop between UNESCO and GIAHS team exploring areas of cooperation
On 25 January 2018, a joint workshop between GIAHS team and UNESCO was organized with the World Heritage Centre, at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, to share experiences and explore areas of cooperation in the field of agricultural heritage.
The workshop was attended by Mr. Rene Castro, Assistant Director General of Climate, Biodiversity, Land and Water Division (CB), FAO GIAHS Secretariat and UNESCO World heritage Centre staff headed by Ms Rössler and the representatives from other UNESCO programmes (Intangible Cultural Heritage, Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) programme) and two of the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee (ICOMOS and IUCN).
The workshop meeting reviewed the main activities conducted by GIAHS and UNESCO programmes relevant to human-nature interaction, traditional knowledge and heritage conservation including cross-sectoral actors contributing to the safeguarding of heritage with agricultural/pastoral/silvicultural values.
Opinions were exchanged to seek areas for collaborative work and it was found that UNESCO has conducted considerable amount of research activities and discussions in the past on the heritage created by human interaction with nature including agriculture.
Finally, both sides agreed on 14 concrete action points that would materialize the strong will to collaborate by GIAHS programme and relevant UNESCO programmes.