Global Heritage Forum

Global Heritage Forum
Introduction

The launch of the Global Heritage Forum in September 2013 was an initiative of INTO, the International National Trusts Organisation, as the founding global partner, and Europa Nostra – the Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe, as the founding European partner.

The aim of the Global Heritage Forum is to provide an informal platform for an annual gathering of senior representatives of the main international and European organisations and networks active in the wider heritage field, many of which are already partners and existing patrons of “The Best in Heritage”. The purpose of the Forum is to examine the challenging issues which globally confront the heritage sector and then formulate a “Global Agenda for Heritage” for each year so that participating organisations can, where appropriate, cooperate and coordinate, to better address the identified issues.

In recent years, in response to difficult economic times, globally we are seeing governments at all levels adopting short-term expedient approaches to the heritage sector, which is a key part of the wider cultural sector. We have seen a shift away from cultural heritage funding, with many museums and other cultural institutions seeing their budgets slashed to, some say, near unsustainable levels. We have also seen tendencies to weaken the legal protection and planning regulations required to safeguard our heritage. As a result, the quality and viability of heritage conservation is today in jeopardy. In these critical times, it was agreed that a global voice is needed to be heard reinforcing the position of cultural heritage as the heart and soul of all our societies, and also as a key pillar of any sustainable development strategies, and thus resisting the growing trend to cut the cultural and heritage sector adrift. Collectively, the organisations which participate in the Global Heritage Forum contribute to this new global voice, reinforcing their individual capacity to influence.
Two people in particular played a catalytic role in the GHF coming to pass. These are Professor Tomislav Sola, the Director of the Best in Heritage and Sneska Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic, Secretary General of Europa Nostra, both pictured below.

Target Outcomes

The Global Heritage Forum is conceived as a “top level, low key” informal consultative annual gathering aimed at achieving the following practical outcomes:
• facilitation of information exchange on heritage programmes and projects, so as to enable a better understanding of both the challenges and opportunities of heritage protection, including the identification of “best practice”;
• examination of the critical issues which are challenging the cultural heritage sector globally, with the intent of formulating strategies to redress and address common issues;
• positioning the Forum as a global alliance, so as to create a strong “voice” capable of being strategically heard by global leaders, funders and policy setters across the world.

Dubrovnik – the annual venue

In order to ensure that annual administration and logistics of the Forum are straightforward without the complexity of moving the host location each year, it was agreed at its inaugural meeting in 2013 that the Global Heritage Forum will take place in the World Heritage City of Dubrovnik immediately preceding “The Best in Heritage” conference which takes place in September every year.
Coinciding the Global Heritage Forum with The Best in Heritage every year was seen as a logical arrangement as after a track record of twelve consecutive successful years, “The Best in Heritage” event has become an exceptional gathering of leading professionals and volunteers working within the heritage sector, broadly defined to include the widest diversity of museums, galleries and heritage site conservation and management organisations. Through exchange of information and the inspiration gained from the showcasing of exemplary projects, this annual event has been recognised as an unsurpassed opportunity for cross-fertilization, stimulated by the richness of diverse experiences embracing all aspects of heritage conservation, management, education and communication.

GLOBAL HERITAGE FORUM 2014

Will be held on Thursday September 25, 2014

For information about the 2014 Global Heritage Forum, please contact us by email at:  GHF@intoorg.org

PROPOSED AGENDA FOR THE 2014 MEETING

NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS

• THE BEST IN HERITAGE 2014, 25-27 September, Dubrovnik
  The Best in Heritage is the world’s only annual survey of award-winning museum, heritage and conservation projects. Organised under special patronage of International Council of Museums and in partnership with Europa Nostra, it is supported by The City of Dubrovnik and Croatian Ministry of Culture. The 13th edition of the meeting will host the pre-conference ...