The rush to inscribe: Reflections on the 35th Session of the World Heritage Committee, UNESCO Paris, 2011

This paper describes new developments and deliberations at the 35th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris in June 2011. One of the most striking aspects of this year’s meetings was the vocal challenge to the expert status and authority of the Advisory Bodies (ICOMOS and IUCN) by the Committee in making recommendations for site inscription. By the end of the meetings they had overturned 22 of the Advisory Body recommendations previously presented in the Draft Decision. Many of those challenges reflect a broader desire to inscribe properties within nations that have been historically underrepresented on the World Heritage List. I also suggest, however, that long-standing political allegiances and new socioeconomic alliances were key factors in voting trends, while heritage sites themselves and their specific requirements received less substantive discussion. The ramifications of these developments for States Parties and communities in terms of site conservation and management can only be assessed in years to come.