Between International Law, Kastom and Sustainable Development: Cultural Heritage in Vanuatu - Island Futures: Conservation and Development Across the Asia-Pacific Region - page 22

Plan for Implementation of the Pacific Strategy (UNESCO 2004 ) resulted in the
preparation of PIC's Tentative Lists and nominations of properties for inclusion in
the World Heritage List (UNESCO 2010 ). This process was supported by a series
of meetings with PICS during which state parties from the Pacific region were
assisted in the identification of regional cultural themes through “the elaboration of
thematic comprehensive studies of regional or global scope concerning a particular
type of cultural heritage site relevant to the Pacific Region”. 2 The three broad
themes identified during the meetings were: early human expansion and innovation
in the Pacific; Pacific societies; and Pasifika encounters (post European contact).
The most recent Pacific Islands World Heritage Workshop held in French
Polynesia in November 2009 continued the strategy of the 2009 Programme and
resulted in a Pacific World Heritage Action Plan 2010-2015 (UNESCO 2009a,b ).
The Plan opens with a vision statement of the Pacific people who “share a dream
that our Pacific Islands' heritage is protected and enriched for future generations”,
but adds that conservation measures must take into account the traditions, aspira-
tions, opportunities and challenges of Pacific people. Apart from a list of challenges
common to the Pacific region - amongst which climate change, financial instability,
globalization of society and economy, technological development, commercializa-
tion, energy supply and demand, natural disasters, and tourism growth figure most
prominently - the Plan sets out 11 main actions which are interlinked with national
level activities and the corresponding strategic objectives of each state party.
Although the Pacific 2009 Programme objective of developing tentative lists of
sites from all PICs did not materialize, Vanuatu's inscription on the WHC list was
certainly inspired by the processes set in motion by UNESCO's Pacific Strategy,
which enabled the country to follow procedures prescribed by the WHC as well as
the WHC Operational Guidelines. Having ratified the UNESCO Cultural Heritage
Convention 1972 on 13 June 2002, Vanuatu lodged a successful application for
inclusion of the Domain of Chief Roi Mata in the Shefa Province of Efate Island
on the UNESCO tentative list in October 2004. This was followed by a Nomination
Report of January 2007 and an ICOMOS technical evaluation mission to Vanuatu
in September that year. On 11 March 2008, the CRMD was approved by ICOMOS
and the site was included on the UNESCO List as site number 1280.
With respect to Vanuatu's cultural heritage protection framework, the Action Plan
2010-2015 foresees, on the basis of AusAID development assistance, a strengthen-
ing of the country's capacity to implement the WHC; the development of a National
Heritage Action Plan for technical assistance; a comprehensive heritage and tourism
training for Roi Mata site managers; and the development of the Roi Mata Cultural
Tour to improve income generation for local communities (UNESCO 2009a,b ).
On nomination and entry into the WHC, every state party must ensure an appro-
priate plan for the daily managing and organization of the heritage site is in place.
Alongside the management plan, the state party must guarantee effective legal
2 Thematic Framework for World Cultural Heritage in the Pacific, 5-8 September 2005, Port Vila,
Vanuatu.