World Heritage
Advisory Services
I possess in-depth knowledge of the 1972 World Heritage Convention and have recent experience working for the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Secretariat, an Advisory Body, and as a State Party representative.
My areas of World Heritage expertise include Indigenous peoples' issues, the nature-culture nexus, and the Latin American and Caribbean region.
Services
Nominations, Preliminary Assessments, Upstream Process
​
Reporting requirements (e.g. State of Conservation)
​
Research and policy projects
​
Desk reviews and analysis
​
Workshops and training
​
On-site missions and field work
​
Support for special events, forums, seminars, etc.
​
Regional cooperation initiatives (especially in Latin America and Caribbean)
Partners
UNESCO
Advisory Bodies
States Parties
Indigenous organizations, heritage associations, local communities
Donors, funding agencies, philanthropic organizations
Private sector (tourism, natural resource and infrastructure development)
Supporting Canada through its nomination process of Indigenous-focused World Heritage sites
Parks Canada Agency works closely with the main nomination proponents—often provincial and territorial authorities or Indigenous communities—to provide guidance and support for nominations.
As part of the State Party of Canada's team dedicated to World Heritage implementation, I provided strategic advice to three separate nomination projects: Tr'ondëk-Klondike, Anticosti, and Wanuskewin.
​
My involvement included reviewing technical documents, providing input to questions from UNESCO and ICOMOS, and preparing key messaging for the nomination team.
​
Despite ongoing challenges, Canada is internationally recognized as a leader in encouraging Indigenous-led World Heritage nominations and co-management practices.
Morgan James, NY
Helping assess impacts of development projects on World Heritage sites
Economic and development pressures for new infrastructure, tourism projects, and natural resource extraction can pose serious challenges to protecting the key values of World Heritage sites.
At the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, I saw these pressures on a regular basis: a high-rise building complex in the heart of Cartagena, expansion of air travel infrastructure in Cusco, a hydropower dam near Iguazú Falls, etc.
​
With my colleagues, I researched these cases and proposed practical solutions on how to address important conservation concerns with States Parties.
​
Outcomes often included a call for an Impact Assessment of the project on the World Heritage site's values and appropriate mitigation measures.