Managing Heritage Cities in Asia and Europe: the Role of Public-Private Partnerships

The management of heritage cities and historic urban landscapes has emerged as a key topic in recent times and points to a major shift in the understanding of ‘cultural heritage’ at the global level. The adoption of the new Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape by UNESCO’s General Conference on 10 November 2011 marks the first such instrument on the historic environment issued by the body in 35 years.

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In view of these new developments, the 5^th Culture Ministers’ Meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (5^th ASEM CMM) will address the theme “Managing Heritage Cities for a Sustainable Future” in September 2012 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This Ministerial meeting will widen and deepen the high-level dialogue on heritage started at the 4^th ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meeting (2010, Poland), which focused on the theme “Heritage and the Challenges of the Present.” This meeting also acknowledged the growing significance of non-governmental stakeholders in the protection and management of cultural heritage.

Experts’ Meeting

To channel civil society inputs to the 5th ASEM CMM, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) is co-organising an Experts’ Meeting from 12-14 July 2012 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in partnership with the Centre for Heritage Conservation at Universitas Gadjah Mada. The experts’ meeting will gather around 25 governmental and civil experts from member countries of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to discuss public-private partnerships (PPP) in the management of heritage cities and historic urban landscapes. A public forum will also be organised at Universitas Gadjah Mada from 9.30-11.30 am on 12 July 2012. Relevant recommendations and case studies from the meeting and forum will be presented to ASEM governments.

Compilation of case studies

A compilation of case studies from ASEM member countries has been commissioned by ASEF in collaboration with Europa Nostra, the International National Trusts Organisation and the Asia-Europe Museum Network (ASEMUS).

Facilitating cultural policy dialogue between the arts sector and Ministries of Culture has been an integral part of ASEF’s mandate, since its establishment by ASEM governments in 1997.