“Urban Resilience and Conservation of Cultural Heritage”

A Joint Side Event co-organized by the United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG MEWA) and the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) at the

40^th Session of the World Heritage Committee

Istanbul, Turkey

Further to organizing a side event on resilience last year during the 39^th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, the OWHC this year co-organized with the UCLG- MEWA a side event at the 40^th Session entitled “Urban Resilience and Conservation of Cultural Heritage”. The two panelists, Michael Turner and Matthias Ripp, who spoke in the name of the OWHC, presented the Resolution of Arequipa as well as the links existing between the theme of our previous World Congress, “Resilient World Heritage Cities”, and the theme of our subsequent World Congress  “Heritage and Communities: tools to engage the local communities”. Those participating in the panel were:

• Denis Ricard

Secretary General of the OWHC

• Michael Turner

Chargé de mission to the Director, UNESCO World Heritage Centre

UNESCO Chair in Urban Design and Conservation Studies,

Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem

ICOMOS Israel

• Matthias Ripp

World Heritage Coordinator of the Planning and Building Division

OWHC Regional Coordinator, North West Europe Regional Secretariat

Regensburg, Germany

• Sezer Cihan

Secretary General of Union of Historical Towns

Deputy Secretary General of Gazinatep Metropolitan Municipality

• Dr. Pelin Pinar Özden

Associate Professor, Istanbul University

• Hüseyin Tok

Head of the Department of Cultural Assets Convservation

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

The OWHC wishes to thank the UCLG-MEWA for the excellent collaboration for the realization of the event.