The management of heritage cities and historic urban landscapes has emerged as a key topic in recent times and points to a major shift in the understanding of ‘cultural heritage’ at the global level. The adoption of the new Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape by UNESCO’s General Conference on 10 November 2011 marks the first such instrument on the historic environment issued by the body in 35 years.
In view of these new developments, the 5th Culture Ministers’ Meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (5th ASEM CMM) focused on the theme Managing Heritage Cities for a Sustainable Future in September 2012 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This Ministerial meeting facilitated the widening and deepening of the high-level dialogue on heritage which started at the 4th ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meeting (2010, Poland), wherein the focus was on the theme Heritage and the Challenges of the Present.
To channel civil society inputs to this Ministerial meeting, ASEF is co-organised an Experts’ Meeting gathering over 25 government officials and civil experts from ASEM member countries to discuss public-private partnerships (PPP) in the management of heritage cities. A public forum was also organised at Universitas Gadjah Mada on 12 July 2012. Relevant recommendations and case studies from the meeting and forum were presented to ASEM governments at the 5th ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meeting.
A compilation of good practices from ASEM member countries has been commissioned by ASEF in collaboration with Europa Nostra and the International National Trusts Organisation.
The concept note, programme and report of the meeting are available in the Documents section below.
This Experts’ Meeting on heritage follows the Roundtable: The Cultural Heritages of Asia and Europe: Global Challenges and Local Initiatives (2-3 September 2010, Amsterdam, Netherlands).
