1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the International Conference on Participatory Approaches to World Heritage 2024 in Seoul from March 19 to March 20, in collaboration with the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), and the Transnational Humanities Institute of Sogang University.

2. Since 2016, the Korean government has been hosting the International Conference on World Heritage with the aim of raising awareness and facilitating discussions on the subject. This year’s conference, themed “Participatory Approaches to World Heritage,” attracted over 150 people, including experts from Korea and abroad in the heritage field, diplomats from World Heritage Committee member states to Korea, officials from relevant organizations, and university students.

※ Themes of World Heritage International Conferences in Korea:

  - Significance and Importance of Interpretation Strategy (November 2016, Seoul)

  - Role of Interpretation Strategies in Heritage Management (November 2017, Seoul)

  - Status and Challenges in Implementing the World Heritage Convention (May 2018, Seoul)

  - Fostering Intercultural Reconciliation through World Heritage Interpretation (May 2019, Seoul)

  - Human Rights Approaches to Heritage Interpretation (November 2020, Online)

  - Principles and Future Directions for World Heritage Interpretation (November 2021, Online)

  - World Heritage Interpretation for Peace and Reconciliation (December 2022, Seoul)

3. The experts had discussions on specific and practical strategies aimed at engaging local communities in the nomination, conservation, and management processes of World Heritage sites. These discussions drew upon their research experiences of working with diverse communities at various natural and cultural heritage sites across the world.

4. In his opening remarks, Hong Seok-in, Ambassador for Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that, for the World Heritage system to advance further, it is necessary to take an inclusive approach that actively involves local communities and encapsulates the entire history encompassing both the past and present of a property. Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, delivered a congratulatory video message, recognizing Korea’s significant contributions to the advancement of the World Heritage system.

5. The Korean government remains committed to actively contributing to the evolution of the World Heritage system, addressing emerging challenges such as adapting to the climate crisis, and fostering harmonious coexistence between local communities and heritage sites.