Topic A Discussions + more!

A World Heritage Site: The Wonders of Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is the closest World Heritage Site to the UC Berkeley Campus. During their time at Cal, students occasionally visit this Natural Site which is just a short three-hour drive.

Dear Delegates, it's your Head Chair Madelyn (again) here to give you more tips before BMUN 71! 

As we are hard at work grading the position papers submitted for research awards, we would like to consider some ideas before coming to the conference. One of the most important parts of BMUN is the ideas you bring to UNESCO. This is more than merely finding reasons to debate with your peers, but preparing content to discuss and present to the rest of the delegations! 

Topic A, on the Equity of World Heritage Sites and cultural policy, consider the following topics! This is just a start of a big thought bubble we hope to facilitate for you all during debate. We recommend not only becoming familiar with formal research, but also being mindful of news and other forms of media that communicate real world developments in your delegation. Here's an example of an article that I recently found that you may find interesting: 

I was reading a little bit more about recent developments in the WHS topic arena and came upon this article I think you would find interesting on the recent events taking place in Angkor Wat (EuroNews.Travel). I invite you all to take a quick read, or I’ll also summarize its main points below.

Official permission now required for Angkor Wat livestream videos | Phnom Penh Post
  • The local residents of Angkor Wat, a Historical Buddhist Temple in Cambodia, face deep hardship in becoming informed that they must follow relocation plans, forcing local artists and businesses to face displacement. 
  • The public outcry about the relocation plans has called upon the Cambodian Government to possibly remove the Temple as a WHS if the Temple's World Heritage Site protection does not improve. 
  • Although UNESCO outlines that relocation plans must take place with the population affected by the plans of relocation, the plans to evict local residents are still taking place, as many urban developments call for a rise in population that Angkor Wat cannot sufficiently resource. 
One of the main takeaways of this example is to relate the example of Angkor Wat relate to other sites in your delegation. How do monopolies of tourism sectors affect the neighboring communities of World Heritage Sites? How does the World Heritage Programme include protections for these communities? Consider UNESCO's course of action in this scenario, and try to reflect the impacts of this scenario in many other different sites across the world 

General Questions to Consider Moving Forward:
  • Does the impacts of tourism call upon reformation within the World Heritage Programme? 
  • What is the stance of World Heritage Sites in your delegation? How are they classified (Natural, Cultural, or Mixed)? Hint: We're not necessarily asking for the number of sites, but we would like to know what influence it has on your country. 
  • What are the effects of the Heritage Sites on the local communities and residents? Have these interactions improved or worsened since the rising rates of tourism near the Site? 
  • Are there different approaches/solutions to conserving world heritage and culture? HINT: refer back to the UN definition of culture and make your own creative approach.

I hope this mini-discussion has helped. Any questions or comments on what’s happening? Comment below! We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Conference Prep!
Madelyn Diaz
UNESCO Head Chair, BMUN 71
 

 

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