Reflections from Florence: World Heritage at a Turning Point — Governance, Civil Society, and the Next 50 Years
The proceedings and recording of the public event Florence celebrates 50 years of the World Heritage Convention: the role of local governance and civil society are now available. Although the event took place in November 2022, the issues addressed remain highly relevant to current debates on heritage protection and governance.
The keynote address by Professor Christina Cameron offers a reflective assessment of the first fifty years of the World Heritage Convention, highlighting both major achievements and persistent challenges. The speaker traces the expansion of the definition of heritage beyond iconic monuments toward living cultures, landscapes, and more inclusive perspectives, while also examining ongoing efforts to bridge the nature–culture divide.
The keynote further identifies critical challenges facing the World Heritage system, including uneven attention to protection and conservation, the growing impacts of climate change, the deliberate destruction of heritage in conflict zones, increasing politicization, and the limited institutional recognition of civil society and community actors. In conclusion, the speaker calls for renewed commitment to the Convention’s founding principles and for more inclusive, people-centred approaches in the decades ahead.
The proceedings present a lightly edited transcript of the welcome address, keynote speech, statements from leaders, and roundtable discussion. The full video recording of the event is also available online.
Access the proceedings and watch the recording:
Program in short:
Welcome address
Dario Nardella
Mayor of Florence
Keynote address: 50 years of international heritage protection & challenges ahead
Christina Cameron,
Professor, University of Montréal
Testimonies
Patricia O'Donnell
President of OurWorldHeritage
Carlotta Del Bianco
President of Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco
Round Table
[Moderated by] Francesco Bandarin
Architect, Assistant Director General of UNESCO for Culture (2010-2018)
George Abungu
Honorary Professor at the Australian National University and Emeritus Director General, National Museums of Kenya
Ebrahim Al Khalifa
Deputy Director, Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH)
Mounir Bouchenaki
Former ADG Culture, UNESCO and Former Director-General of ICCROM
Susanna Caccia
University of Florence
Meetali Gupta
Architect and Heritage Researcher
Mechtild Rössler
Former Director, UNESCO World Heritage Center (2015-2021)
Jad Tabet
Architect, Former World Heritage Committee member (Lebanon)
Michael Turner
Architect, Professor Emeritus, Bezalel Academy and Former World Heritage Committee member (2005-2009)
