The first international document on the preservation of heritage settings has been passed at the five-day 15th General Assembly of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), which concluded in Beijing on Friday (Oct 21st).

The milestone Xi'an Declaration defines the setting of a heritage structure, site or area as "the immediate and extended environment that is part of or contributes to its significance and distinctive character."

It will help better conserve environments around heritage sites, according to Zhang Bai, deputy director of the State Heritage Administration.

The declaration emphasizes the contribution of setting to the significance of heritage monuments and sites.

"Understanding, documenting and interpreting the setting is essential to defining and appreciating the heritage significance of any structure, site or area," it says.

The document calls for legislation, regulation and guidelines to be drafted by governments to conserve and manage such settings.

It suggests the establishment of protection or buffer zones around the sites.

The declaration also stresses the need to monitor and manage changes around sites.

It appeals for the heritage conservation society to work with local, interdisciplinary and international communities for co-operation and awareness in conserving and managing heritage settings.

Established in 1965, ICOMOS is the only international non-government heritage conservation organization.

It is the main consultative organ of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in judging world heritage candidate sites.

Zhang said China will implement the declaration based on the actual situation in the country, for example increasing financial input and strengthening public awareness.

He said China will draft legislations in this regard to reflect the principles enshrined in the declaration.

More than 1,000 delegates joined the assembly, which highly evaluates China's experience in heritage conservation.

The general assembly, which meets every three years, was first held in Cracow in Poland in 1965. China joined ICOMOS in 1993.

The next assembly will be held in Canada's Quebec City in 2008.

Editor: Wing