Culture is a unique feature of humanity. It’s what makes us human and it consists of the history, values, traditions and beliefs that make us feel connected with our families and communities. It can be embodied in objects and art like monuments, buildings, and archaeological sites. But it can also be intangible, such as language and music.
Cultural heritage is what defines us as individuals and as a society, from our food to our art and music to our family and tribal histories. It is our common heritage that makes us all part of the same human race and it’s important to preserve it for future generations.
UNESCO’s definition of cultural heritage includes both tangible and intangible items, including a wide range of materials such as historical and religious sites, museums and art galleries, collections of antiquities, monuments and architectural structures, works of art, archaeological discoveries and documents, handwritings, manuscripts, and old books. However, the most important aspect of a culture is its intangible heritage, which consists of traditions, customs, oral history, social practices and representations that are passed down from generation to generation within a community. These include dances and songs, such as tango and flamenco, Viennese coffee house culture, kabuki theatre, Vedic chanting and the polyphonic singing of the Aka of Central Africa.
A key aspect of cultural heritage is that it must be acknowledged as such by the communities, groups or individuals that create, maintain and transmit it. It cannot be imposed by outsiders. Therefore, the recognition of heritage is not an automatic process and it is constantly challenged by societies that are in a constant process of selecting what is worth being preserved for the next generation and what is not.
The importance of protecting and preserving cultural heritage has led to the establishment of government ministries of culture, national museums, archives and libraries, intergovernmental organizations like UNESCO, international conventions, and non-governmental programs run by a broad range of institutions, such as foundations, libraries and universities. In addition, there is a large global industry dedicated to the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage and a significant contribution to economic development from this sector in many countries.
However, cultural heritage is under increasing threat from neglect, natural disasters and the impact of climate change. Examples of these threats include the earthquakes in Italy and Haiti that destroyed historic buildings; the fires that devastated the library of the University of Paris and Notre Dame Cathedral in France, and the loss of living cultural heritage in Inuit communities in the face of climate change.
Cultural heritage is of enormous value and benefit to the world. UNESCO’s mission is to protect and promote cultural heritage around the globe, so that it can be enjoyed by all. This can be accomplished by deciphering and digitising historical documents, promoting the value of cultural heritage, encouraging research into it, and creating tools that enable people to preserve it. In addition, UNESCO is committed to facilitating the participation of the local communities in this endeavour.