The Pacific region's traditional respect for both natural and cultural preservation was celebrated at the opening of the 31st session of the World Heritage Committee, chaired by Tumu te Heuheu of New Zealand, in Christchurch Saturday (June 22).

Speaking in Maori, Rick Tau, Respected Elder of the Ngai Tahu tribe of South Island (New Zealand) welcomed the participants, notably those of the Northern Hemisphere.

The Governor General of New Zealand, Anand Satyanand, spoke of the need to protect world heritage sites in the face of serious challenges including "climate change, depleting fisheries and water resources, declining ecosystems and a host of other problems."

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said her country had undertaken to represent the Pacific region as a whole.

Clark stressed that East Rennel, on the Solomon Islands, is the only World Heritage site to be found among all of the South Pacific Small Island States.

The Chairman of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s Executive Board, Zhang Xinsheng, encouraged Small Island Developing States of the Pacific, to ratify UNESCO's World Heritage Convention to help correct the region's under representation on the World Heritage List.

Zhang stressed that "in our ever more globalized world, all dimensions of heritage -- natural, cultural, tangible and intangible - are part of the sustainable development equation."

Zhang warned against the dangers of uniformization generated by globalization.

The ten-day session will examine the state of conservation of sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List and on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The Committee will also review requests to inscribe 36 new nature and culture sites on the World Heritage List, which currently numbers 830 properties, 644 cultural, 162 natural and 24mixed, in 184 States Parties.

Over 600 international delegates are expected to attend the meeting.

Backgrounder:

In 1972, UNESCO adopted the World Heritage Convention as a way to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of the world's most outstanding cultural and natural heritage sites.

With 183 member countries and more than 800 sites, it is one of the most widely supported United Nations' conventions.

Editor: Wing