The World Heritage Convention concluded a three-day gathering Thursday by stressing that communities should be fully involved in the management and conservation of the sites the group designates, including activities to reduce the risks from man-made disasters and climate change.
The emphasis on giving communities, including minority groups within them, more say on how World Heritage sites are managed comes amid growing international concern over how to reconcile the need to preserve these areas with the demands of economic development, especially when they are near growing populations and land is limited.
"If one of the aims of the Convention is to 'give heritage a role in the life of the community,' then the concerns and aspirations of communities must be centrally involved in conservation and management efforts," a vision statement released at the end of the conference said.