“The effective safeguarding of heritage depends not only on laws, institutions and technical expertise, but also on the experience, cultural traditions and custodial practices of the people whose lives remain connected to these places,” said Berta de Sancristóbal, Head of the Europe and North America Unit at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
De Sancristóbal spoke at the annual panel discussion on the rights of Indigenous Peoples during the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Alongside De Sancristóbal, Awa Dabo, UN Human Rights’ Deputy High Commissioner, Francisco Vidargas, Director of World Heritage at the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH) and Carmen Rosa Guerra Ariza (Colombia), Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on World Heritage, spoke on Indigenous Peoples’ rights and engagement in the protection of the cultural and natural heritage.