Interpreting Contested Heritage: Towards an Integrated Framework for Inclusive and Agonistic Approaches in UNESCO World Heritage Policy

This study proposes an integrated model of heritage interpretation that addresses the limitations of existing frameworks – namely, cognitively structured didactic models and unstructured hermeneutic approaches – when applied to contested heritage. Drawing on inclusive and agonistic interpretive theoriesFootnote1, the model reframes interpretation as a participatory and political process that balances mutual understanding with structured confrontation. By comparing two key cases – Gunkanjima (Hashima Island) and the Comfort Women documents – this study demonstrates how inclusive interpretation can foster reconciliation, while agonistic interpretation ensures visibility and legitimacy for marginalised narratives in contexts of unresolved historical injustice. The proposed model is grounded in philosophical hermeneutics and democratic pluralism and carries practical implications for UNESCO policy. In particular, it extends the normative intent of Paragraph 108 of the 2024 Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (WHC), which calls for participatory management strategies that safeguard Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). By conceptualising interpretation as horizon fusion and negotiated meaning-makingFootnote2, this study offers a framework for integrating diverse stakeholder voices – including dissenting and postcolonial perspectives – into interpretive planning and site governance. The model contributes to more ethically grounded, inclusive, and sustainable heritage practices, redefining heritage sites as spaces for critical engagement, not consensus alone.