Reference texts

A number of international texts concern critically the relationship of anthropos / culture and nature. Some of them are mentioned below:

  • Convention on Wetlands Resolution IX.21 on ‘Taking into account the cultural values of wetlands’, Kampala, Uganda, 8-15 November 2005.

  • Dialogue between peoples and cultures in the Euro-Mediterranean Area

    European Commission, 2 December 2003

    This EuroMed report has been prepared by the High-Level Advisory Group, which was established at the initiative of the President of the European Commission, and is chaired by Assia Alaoui Bensalah and Jean Daniel. Starting from the principle that "a common civilization naturally looks to the universal, and hence equality, while dialogue thrives on diversity, and hence a taste for difference", the report attempts to promote cultural dialogue among civic society in the Mediterranean, while "condemning any doctrines or ideas which legitimise any form of exclusion or discrimination to whatever end".

    The concrete proposals included concern mainly education, cultural exchanges and an increased role for the media; they are not particularly ambitious or far reaching, but may provide some useful first steps.

    The relationship between human beings and nature is almost totally ignored, which indicates that there is a lot of work required at this front.

    http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/euromed/publication/euromed_report68_en.pdf

     

  • Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

    UNESCO, Paris 17 October 2003

    This particularly interesting convention has been approved at the 32nd General Conference of UNESCO (29 September to 17 October 2003 ). Already in its third point, it recognises "the deep-seated interdependence between the intangible cultural heritage and the tangible cultural and natural heritage".

    Its purposes are (article 1):

    - to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage;

    - to ensure respect for the intangible cultural heritage of the communities, groups and individuals concerned;

    - to raise awareness at the local, national and international levels of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage, and of ensuring mutual appreciation thereof;

    - to provide for international co-operation and assistance.

    The organs of the Convention will be a General Assembly of the States Parties and the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, with a technical and operational role, assisted by the UNESCO Secretariat.

    Safeguarding methods mentioned in the Convention text include policies, inventories, studies, documentation, institution building, education and awareness-raising, with a strong participatory character, as well as two lists of representative and endangered intangible cultural heritage at the global level.

    In addition, an Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund will be established to provide international assistance, but its financing will depend mainly from very modest state contributions.

    The Convention will enter into effect once it is ratified by thirty states, which may take considerable time.

    http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001325/132540e.pdf

  • Draft report of an international workshop on ‘The importance of natural sacred sites for biodiversity conservation’, UNESCO MAB et al, Kunming and Xishuangbanna Biosphere Reserve, China, 17-20 February 2003.  more

  • Convention on Wetlands Resolution VIII.19 on ‘Guiding principles for taking into account the cultural values of wetlands for the effective management of sites’, Ramsar Bureau, Gland, Switzerland, November 2002.