Possible withdrawal of Darwin's home and workplace nomination for World Heritage Site status
Following evaluation of the Darwin at Downe World Heritage nomination by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the World Heritage Committee's advisory body, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is considering withdrawing the nomination of the site and submitting a revised nomination to UNESCO at a later date.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Following evaluation of the Darwin at Downe World Heritage nomination by the International Council on Monuments and Sites ( ICOMOS ), the World Heritage Committee's advisory body, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport ( DCMS ) is considering withdrawing the nomination of the site and submitting a revised nomination to UNESCO at a later date.
Darwin at Downe - Darwin's home and workplace - was submitted to UNESCO as the UK's 2006 nomination for becoming a World Heritage Site in January last year.
ICOMOS have raised various issues which DCMS is carefully considering with London Borough of Bromley, leaders of the bid partnership. A formal decision on whether to withdraw the nomination which is due to be considered by the World Heritage Committee this year will be made by the Government before the World Heritage Committee starts on 23 June in New Zealand. Bids which are withdrawn can be re-submitted in the future.
Leaders of the bid partnership, Councillor Stephen Carr, Leader of Bromley Council said:
"The Government and the bid partnership need to carefully look at the bid report and agree a way forward. Keeping the essence of Darwin at Downe continues to be a priority. The Council remains committed to conserving Downe as far as practicably possible whilst protecting Darwin's legacy. We are obviously disappointed but hopeful for the future.
"We would like to thank everyone involved in the bid so far for all their hard work and support. We will continue to assess visitor management within the area, support educational opportunities and enhance land management."
Darwin at Downe, situated in the London Borough of Bromley, comprises Charles Darwin's house, experimental garden and the countryside immediately around his property used for Darwin's important scientific investigations for forty years after his round-the-world voyage of HMS Beagle in the 1830s. Here Darwin developed and demonstrated his theory of evolution through the study of plants and animals in natural settings and under human management.
Notes to Editors
1. The boundary of the proposed World Heritage Site has been set to include the area used by Charles Darwin for forty years to develop and demonstrate his theories on natural selection and biodiversity. The area of the Site is 10 square kilometers.
2. The concept of World Heritage Sites is at the core of the World Heritage Convention, adopted by UNESCO in 1972, to which 180 nations belong. Through the Convention, UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of the cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. The Convention required the establishment of the World Heritage List, under the management of an inter-governmental World Heritage Committee as a means of recognising that some places, both natural and cultural, are of sufficient importance to be the responsibility of the international community as a whole.
3. As a member of the Convention, States Parties are pledged to care for their World Heritage sites as part of protecting their national heritage. In the UK this duty is discharged through the existing planning system.
4. The International Council on Monuments and Sites is an association of professionals throughout the world that currently bring together over 7500 members ICOMOS works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places. It is the only global non-government organisation of this kind, which is dedicated to promoting the application of theory, methodology, and scientific techniques to the conservation of the architectural and archaeological heritage. Its work is based on the principles enshrined in the 1964 International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites ( the Venice Charter ). http://www.international.icomos.org/about.htm
Department for Culture, Media and Sport 2-4 Cockspur Street London SW1Y 5DH http://www.culture.gov.uk
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