Second Annual Meeting of the International Scientific Committee Kathmandu Valley (ISC-KV)

During the opening of the second annual meeting, Mr Hit Bahadur Tamang, Honorable Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, praised UNESCO's pivotal role in conserving Nepal's cultural heritage, particularly in the earthquake-affected Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site. He underscored the significance of organizations like UNESCO in preserving and maintaining the authenticity of Nepal's cultural heritage. The Hon. Minister further shared an anecdote of trends in rural areas, where lack of awareness contributes to the loss of traditional vernacular houses, emphasizing the need for heritage preservation.

Before the inauguration, a delegation consisting of national and international experts, ISC members, CWC (Coordinative Working Committee) members, and stakeholders involved in heritage conservation and management in the seven monument zones of the Kathmandu Valley visited Pashupati, Bauddhanath, and Patan Durbar Square to observe development and conservation efforts in the area.

The second annual meeting chaired by the Director-General of the Department of Archaeology, Ms Saubhagya Pradhananga, Mr Roland Lin, Asia-Pacific project officer from UNESCO World Heritage Centre, provided an overview of objectives and expectations for the Kathmandu Valley International Scientific Meeting in the context of decisions made during the 45th extended session of the World Heritage Committee, Riyadh 2023. He referenced the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) criteria for the site's 1979 inscription on the World Heritage list and decisions made during the extended session in Riyadh, emphasizing the importance of meeting criteria, maintaining integrity and authenticity, and ensuring protection and management to uphold the OUV.

Similarly, Mr Ramesh Raj Paudel, Chief Archaeological Officer, presented the background of the ISC for KV and the recommendations from its inaugural meeting, along with the progress status, plans, and priorities for conservation and management of the Kathmandu Valley WHS in the coming years. Dr Kai Weise offered guidance on goal setting and priorities integrating decisions of the World Heritage Committee, Recommendations of the Reactive Monitoring Missions, and ISC KV recommendations.Prof. Yukio Nishimura, an expert on urban planning and architecture, recommended documenting the entire restoration procedure for future reference, stressing the importance of lessons learned, challenges, and authenticity.

Ms. Catherine Forbes, an expert in conservation and management of heritage, emphasized the importance of the relationship between monuments and communities, highlighting the significance of local heritage in the broader context of world heritage.

"World heritage starts with local heritage created by the community. If people feel it is important, the value increases, and it becomes national heritage, likewise, it becomes world heritage, but still, it is local heritage, important for the local community, that is why we need to consider all the heritage values not just the world heritage," she stated.

Professor Robin Coningham, an expert on archaeology, discussed issues and provided recommendations regarding management, sector plans, research strategy, mapping, and the dissemination of technical reports, underlining the global significance of lessons learned from Kathmandu Valley's recovery efforts.

Kosh Prasad Acharya, an expert on archaeology, shared findings from excavations in Kasthamandap, confirming the resilience of traditional architectural systems to earthquakes. Bhim Prasad Nepal, focusing on cultural heritage, requested research on traditional seismic-resistant technologies from the Department of Archaeology and UNESCO.

Dr. Suresh S Shrestha, MOCTCA, emphasized the importance of documentation, referring to the lessons learned from the 2015 earthquakes and the Cultural Heritage Information Management System (CHIMS) database, established by the Department of Archaeology in collaboration with UNESCO using an open-source ARCHES platform (created by the Getty Conservation Institute and World Monument Fund), available at https://heritage.gov.np/. "The Department of Archaeology also worked with UNESCO to develop CHIMS database, it has 800+ monument details, we need to make this available for common use," he added.

During a session moderated by Michael Croft, UNESCO Representative to Nepal, the 27-point suggestions provided by the participants of the ISC meeting were unanimously agreed interlinking the meeting's three thematic areas, to develop the ISC KV recommendations 2024.

1. Finalisation of post-disaster recovery phase by 25 April 2025

• Progress status and completion of remaining work

• Lessons learned report and publication

2. Review and revise the essential management procedures and tools

• Finalize Integrated Management Framework (IMF) and adopt it within six months

• Develop sector strategies and plans within a year

  3. Capacity strengthening and coordination

• Awareness and training on heritage conservation and management

• Monitor the implementation maintaining proper documentation and coordination through regular CWC meetings

Supported by the Oriental Cultural Heritage Protection Alliance, the meeting, attended by national and international experts, ISC members, CWC members, and representatives of the local authorities - the four municipalities of Bhaktapur, Changunarayan, Kathmandu, and Lalitpur, was organized by the Department of Archaeology in close collaboration with UNESCO.