Editorial Issue 2/2024

In recent years, community engagement has become a cornerstone in peace-building, decision-making and sustainable development. It also plays an increasingly significant role in heritage management and the processes involved in heritage listing. The 1972 World Heritage Convention, Article 5, proposed adopting a policy of integrating cultural and natural heritage in the life of communities. In 2007, “Communities” was added as the “Fifth C” to the Strategic Objectives to “enhance the role of communities in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention” (UNESCO 2007). The 2011 UNESCO Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach further strengthened commitment to community engagement by emphasizing the importance of community values and the need to learn “from communities about their histories, traditions, values, needs and aspirations, and by facilitating mediation and negotiation between groups with conflicting interests” (UNESCO 2011). This shift reflects a broader recognition that effective heritage preservation requires integrating local knowledge, practices and cultural values.