From World Heritage Policy Compendium and Fondazione Dolomiti UNESCO
One of the central objectives of the World Heritage Convention is to enhance the role of communities in the implementation of the Convention and to encourage the participation of the local population and different stakeholders in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage. In addition, the Convention asks each State Party ‘to adopt a general policy which aims to give the cultural and natural heritage a function in the life of the community ’.
The theme of Communities includes policies related to the participation of local communities and other stakeholders, human rights and a rights-based approach, gender, indigenous peoples, youth, and fostering of peace and security.
The Overall Management Strategy of the UNESCO Dolomites World Heritage Site is one of the best practice in developing the idea of Community in a World Heritage Site. It has been a tool which developed according to the recommendations made by UNESCO and International Union for Conservation of Nature after its inspection in 2011 and, so long, it’s still a driver for 5C implementing activities.
It promotes and implements networked management (a form of collaboration between the institutions and the territorial authorities for the UNESCO Property), applying both the human and financial resources available on the territory and integrating them with actions aimed at the conservation, communication and enhancement of the Property. The OMS is implemented with the involvement of a vast array of stakeholders who operate both directly and indirectly throughout the Dolomites area.
In the Overall Management Strategy, the natural environment is central to social and economic issues. Cooperation is the key method to try out innovative policies for conscious growth which foster the concept of natural heritage as a living environment. It is a concerted document that demonstrates our willingness to leave behind passive environmental conservation in favour of shared environmental responsibility (Protected Landscape Approach). The Strategy is therefore a voluntary, flexible and dynamic agreement, a set of strategies and objectives that can be tailored to the different places and verified over time, based on a process that embraces mediation and compensation between those involved.
The 4 cornerstones of the Strategy
There are 4 “cornerstones” which embody the Overall Management Strategy:
HERITAGE: conserving the outstanding universal values for a territory that meets World Heritage standards;
EXPERIENCE: enhancing visitor experiences for sustainable tourism that meets World Heritage standards;
COMMUNITY: raising local awareness for a community working for World Heritage;
SYSTEM: coordinating management activities for governance that meets World Heritage standards.
Point of contact and coordinator of the project is The UNESCO Dolomiti Foundation, which is constantly promoting dialogue between the territorial authorities, scientific objectives, socio-economic and environmental issues and the interests of the local authorities. The Foundation’s Board of Directors, made up of political representatives from the provinces and regions involved in the UNESCO inscription, approved the Overall Management Strategy on 21 December 2015.
The entities responsible for carrying out the Overall Management Strategy
They are primarily the regional and provincial administrative authorities, the parks (natural, regional and national) and the local authorities (communities, municipalities) who are directly responsible for the management of the WHS The Dolomites and who are in charge of organisation and territorial planning.
For this reason the Operating Networks (permanent working groups coordinated by the provinces within the UNESCO Dolomites Natural Property), which the regions, provinces and parks belong to, have the task of disseminating the objectives and implementing the strategic actions regarding landscape heritage and protected areas, geological heritage, tourism and mobility, promotion, education and research equally throughout.
Just as important are the numerous Supporters (socio-economic and environmental stakeholders) who are members of the FD4U and who share its aims, actively contributing when drawing up the activities and projects. The participatory process “#Dolomites2040” was instrumental in underlining the enormous potential of a widespread and well-informed project.
The role of the participatory process #Dolomites2040
The participatory process #Dolomites2040, namely eleven meetings held throughout the Dolomites in May and June 2015, brought to light proposals, expectations, hopes, and even some constructive criticism, signalling an important turning point, especially as far as the method of consultation and work strategy were involved.
The meetings saw the involvement of Supporters, administrative authorities, associations in the sector and in general and all those who wanted to do their part for the future of the Dolomites. Some of the results were integrated into the Overall Management Strategy. Download the document >>