“Presentation” is one of the primary obligations of countries that are signatories to the World Heritage Convention. Articles 4 and 5 of the Convention can be summarized as the duty of ensuring the protection, conservation, presentation, and transmission to future generations of the natural heritage and implementation of appropriate steps to achieve those ends. These are real obligations whose meaning has been clarified by judgments in the High Court of Australia. Justice Murphy held that the meaning of these obligations is the ordinary meaning in, for example the Macquarie Dictionary. In the Australian Natural Heritage Charter “presentation” means creating awareness and understanding of the natural significance of a place. In their notes “presentation” also includes interpretation and education activities. Further, it is explained:
Justice Brennan in one of his High Court judgments, made it clear that protection and conservation of a World Heritage property must not be sacrificed (or compromised) by presentation. The most recent changes to the Australian Natural Heritage Charter (2nd Edition) add the need to include awareness of a Sites conservation plan in their definition of “presentation” (Article 41). Thus presentation, in the meaning of the Convention, is about drawing attention to the outstanding universal values of a Site in all its glorious facets, whilst at the same time improving visitors’ understanding of the World Heritage Convention’s noble intentions and obligations. It is important to recognize, however, that whilst the obligations are real, the World Heritage Committee cannot compel compliance with these obligations. Its only redress is to remove a Site from the World Heritage List. World Heritage listing is a privilege and ongoing inclusion on the List cannot be guaranteed unless an area is looked after as detailed in the Operational Guidelines of the Convention.
|
|||||||||
