Peak to Peak

40 years of UNESCO World Heritage Convention

30.01.2012

Issue 48 - Month 01 - Year 2012

This year marks the 40th anniversary of UNESCO World Heritage Convention. We have asked Marc Patry from the World Heritage Centre what the Convention envisages for mountains .

How is UNESCO ensuring protection of mountain sites? Could you highlight any mountain-related initiatives?

The World Heritage Convention was adopted in 1972. We have 198 countries that have ratified the Convention. Although we have a Marine Programme, a Forest Programme, a Tourism Programme – to this day we don’t have a specific Mountain Programme. Mountains are dealt with as distinct cases, as issues arise. So, we are not doing anything specific for mountains in the context of the 40th anniversary. Perhaps that’s where we could be doing something together with the Mountain Partnership! Many of our sites are, in fact, mountains sites – such as Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya. They do raise the flag on global concerns such as climate change...