Proceedings Tenth World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage

Table Of Contents Message from the Mayor of Quito 7 Message from the Secretary General of OWHC 9 Introduction from the Getty Conservation Institute 11 Keynote Presentations 13 Historic Cities and their Survival in a Globalized World By Francesco Siravo 14 Micro-Finance Programmes in the Old City of Aleppo X World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities Heritage World of the Organization of Congress World X By Maan Chibli 36 Manila Intramuros: An Island of Heritage By Augusto Villalón 46 4 Sleeping with the Enemy? Private Sector Involvement in World Heritage Preservation By Ron Van Oers 54 Report on the symposium and discussions By Dinu Bumbaru 66 Steering Committee List of Previous OWHC Publications 71 Steering Committee of the X World Congress of the OWHC 72 List of Previous OWHC Publications 72 X World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities Heritage World of the Organization of Congress World X 5 X World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities Heritage World of the Organization of Congress World X message from The Mayor of the Metropolitan District of Quito Quito and its people are grateful for having the presence of Mayors and delegates who honored us with their visit during the X World Congress for the Organization of World Heritage Cities - OWHC. The central topic of this important event, the “Revitalization of Historic Centers: How to involve all the social actors?” reflects the policy of this local government towards the conservation of our tangible and intangible heritage. We believe in the consolidation of comprehensive and plural policies that allow us to strengthen citizens’ participation identifying and revaluing our cultural heritage. UNESCO’s acknowledge- ment in the year 1978 filled us with pride and generated a commitment from the authorities and citizens to preserve our identity. We sincerely hope that the experience in Quito has been enriching and that it will contribute to generate new ideas to preserve your own spaces and historic monuments. We are confident that the visits you have made have been gratifying and that you have enjoyed the hospitality of the “quiteños and quiteñas”. 7 Augusto barrera Guarderas Mayor of the Metropolitan District of Quito X World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities Heritage World of the Organization of Congress World X 8 X World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities Heritage World of the Organization of Congress World X message from the Secretary General of the OWHC From its founding, the primary objectives of the Organization of World Heritage Cities have been to promote the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, to encourage co-operation and the exchange of information and expertise on matters of conservation and management among its member cities, and ultimately to make a relevant, constructive and prospective contribution towards their holistic sustainable development. Most mayors are not heritage experts although the responsibility for preserving or managing historic sites becomes partly theirs once they have been elected. To assist the local authorities in this difficult task, since 2005 a Mayors’ Workshop has been introduced at our world congresses as a pre-conference session. These workshops, organised in collaboration with the Getty Conservation Institute, aim to raise the awareness and to enhance the sensitivity of mayors and decision–makers as regards heritage issues. In an effort to preserve and manage a city’s heritage, conflicts may arise between the local authorities and the community. It is therefore essential that members of the general public understand the importance of their cultural heritage and are thereby convinced of the need to preserve it and, where possible, to partici- pate actively in the development processes. 9 In keeping with this premise, the theme of the OWHC 10th World Congress, ‘Revitalization of historic centers: How to involve all social actors?’, was chosen in order to demonstrate that through the synergy of the local community and relevant participants from the public and private sectors, our objectives can be achieved more effectively. We thank the Getty Conservation Institute for its invaluable contribution to the development of this theme. It is with great pleasure that we present the Proceedings of the 10th World Congress held in Quito, Ecuador, in September 2009. We hope that this collection of presentations made during the congress will serve as a useful source of information and ideas for implementation in World Heritage Cities everywhere. We would like to thank all of the contributors for making this publication possible. In particular, we would like to thank the City of Quito for its generous hospitality and tireless efforts to ensure the success of this World Congress. Denis Ricard Secretary General Organization of World Heritage Cities X World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities Heritage World of the Organization of Congress World X 10 X World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities Heritage World of the Organization of Congress World X introduction from the Getty Conservation Institute Since 2004, the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) has collaborated with the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) on the organization of its biannual world congress, and in particular has taken on the responsibility for the structure and content of the scientific program. In close consulta- tion with the host city, a subject of immediate relevance to the management of historic cities has been selected to be at the center of presentations and discussions. The X World Congress of the Orga- nization of World Heritage Cities, taking place in Quito, Ecuador, from September 8 to September 11, 2009, focuses on the theme “Revitalization of Historical Centers: How to Engage All Social Actors?” These Proceedings include the four keynote papers presented during the congress. The first International Symposium of World Heritage Cities took place in 1991 in Québec City, Can- ada. At that meeting, participants acknowledged the need to establish a network of cities with the objective “to favour the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and to promote co-operation and the exchange of information among members as well as with all other historic cities round the world.” The result of their work, the Québec City Declaration, also committed technical support for any member city in the network willing to organize a similar meeting, and since the creation of the OWHC in Fez, Morocco, in 1993, a world congress has assembled every two years, bringing together elected officials and professionals from municipalities around the world engaged in the preservation of historic cities, particularly those inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. These encounters provide a unique forum where decision makers and professionals from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines can discuss topics of common interest. In a variety of different formats, participants are provided with the opportunity to share their experiences and learn about new developments and strategies for meeting the critical challenges associated with the conservation and management of World Heritage cities. The host city of each congress is selected by the members of the OWHC in a meeting of the general 11 assembly. A city’s candidacy to host the congress is often related to a special event being celebrated in that city. This year is no exception. In 2009, the city of Quito is celebrating the bicentenary of its “primera revolución de Independencia Republicana” (first revolution of Republican Independence) as well as the 31st anniversary of its inscription on the World Heritage List. In fact, Quito, along with Cracow (Poland), was the first city to be named on the World Heritage List. Within this context, the general assembly of the OWHC, meeting in Kazan in 2007, selected Quito to host the X World Con- gress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities. Since the 1960s, the conservation and preservation of the historic centre of Quito has been of primary concern for local and national authorities, as reflected by the “Normas de Quito” (Quito Guidelines), established in 1967, and the “Fondo de Salvamento del Patrimonio Cultural” (Cultural Heritage Safe- Guarding Fund, or Fonsal), created in 1987 after a devastating earthquake affected numerous monuments and buildings in the city. These dynamic and proactive initiatives have since 2000 been rein- forced by strong municipal policies promoting identity and cultural values, and have been supported by efficient tools and operational structures. Numerous projects have been undertaken, allowing for the recovery of the physical and cultural fabric of the historic centre, as well as its urban function, providing visitors with a clear sense of place. Perhaps even more important, these projects have con- sistently promoted inclusion and the social values of the community, making Quito a source of pride and identity not just for local inhabitants but for all Ecuadorians. The revitalization of historic cities goes beyond the preservation and conservation of their physical fabric. It requires a process that takes into account all of the cultural values embedded in a city’s physical and spatial components, and involves residents and all other stakeholders, including both the public and private sectors, to ensure the appropriate and sustainable conservation and development of historic centers. Within the context of globalization and a widespread economic crisis, it is crucial to bring together the combined strength and energy of all social actors in a way that coordinates their efforts in preserving theinvaluable cultural his- tory of a historic city while successfully integrating them into the city’s development. At the same time, these efforts must be articulated in a manner that clearly identifies each actor’s roles and responsibilities. Each one of us as individuals – elected representatives and professionals from all disciplines – has the task and the responsibility to undertake this ambitious goal.

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