Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
encouraging all member states to identify and protect intangible heritage within
their jurisdictions and safeguard it in ways which maintain its functional relevance.
CSICH will likely be ratified by the Pacific SIDS, principally because it offers
opportunities for safeguarding intangible heritage but imposes few additional
obligations on the state. This is explored in further detail below.
Opportunities Offered by CSICH
A significant benefit arising from ratification of CSICH would be the international
recognition of intangible heritage. At present, regionally listed intangible heritage
includes only the Vanuatu Sand Drawings and Tongan Lakalaka Dances.
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Including
additional items on the
Representative List
would draw international attention to
Pacific heritage. This is important for two reasons: first is the wealth of intangible
heritage in the Pacific representing a “significant enrichment of the global heritage
catalogue” (Smith and O'Keefe
2004
: 12). Second is the rather poor recognition of
Pacific sites on the World Heritage List, with the Kuk Early Agricultural Site in
Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu's Chief Roi Mata's Domain being the only cultural
heritage inscriptions in the region.
38
To a certain extent, this lack of representation
is due to the small amount of monumental heritage in the region. This leads to the
second benefit of CSICH in that it complements the protection of tangible sites
under the World Heritage Convention, greatly expanding the range of heritage
acknowledged as globally significant.
From a more practical perspective, CSICH can play an important standard-setting
role and provide normative guidance on safeguarding mechanisms. This would
assist regional programs by harmonising approaches and providing guidance in
circumstances where national and regional resources are poor. In terms of developing
legislative frameworks, the international assistance provided by UNESCO is a further
powerful advantage.
CSICH, and more particularly the programs and projects developed by
UNESCO, offers safeguarding options which could be adapted by Pacific states.
For example, a
Living Human Treasure
program has already been established in Fiji
and may be suitable to other Pacific SIDS as well.
39
UNESCO provides a forum for
37
State signatories to CSICH, in the Pacific region, include Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and
Vanuatu:
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00024
.
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The Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands has also been inscribed but for its significance as a
nuclear test site rather than indigenous cultural heritage. Regionally there are three other sites all
of which are inscribed for natural values: East Rennell in the Solomon Islands, the Phoenix Islands
in Kiribati and the Lagoons of New Caledonia. There are, however, many sites in the region on
the tentative list.
39
http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?project_id=00091
and
http://portal.unesco.org/
culture/es/ev.php-URL_ID=29181&URL_DO=DO_PRINTPAGE&URL_SECTION=201.html
.
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