Masterclass on Sustainable Development & World Heritage Conservation in Bangladesh (2-3 June 2021)

Thanks to the generous funding from the UNESCO/Netherlands Funds-in-Trust, 'Masterclass on Sustainable Development & World Heritage Conservation in Bangladesh' will be organised by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France) and the UNESCO Dhaka Office, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh, as well as Advisory Bodies of the World Heritage Convention (ICOMOS, ICCROM, IUCN), on 2-3 June 2021, on Zoom platform.

The main aim of this Masterclass is to provide necessary technical guidance to Bangladesh in its efforts in strengthening nation-wide understanding on the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage's principles and obligations, as well as to raise awareness of all the relevant stakeholders, to ensure that all World Heritage properties in Bangladesh - The Sundarbans, Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat, and Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur - will maintain their Outstanding Universal Value under the World Heritage Convention. Moreover, participants are expected to strengthen their capacity in proactive planning, management and in taking well-informed decisions on interventions on natural and cultural heritage property, so that they could address emerging conservation issues related to development and protection of heritage values, in a balanced way.

The Masterclass is conceived for government officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO (BNCU), specialists involved in the protection and management of cultural and natural heritage sites, policy-makers, and specialists from local authorities of the World Heritage properties in Bangladesh, as well as those from development agencies, the wildlife and forest sector.

The workshop will result in the adoption of a set of recommendations.