World Heritage: Who Owns the Past?

The idea that some places belong to all humanity grew after the 1960s, when Egypt's Aswan High Dam threatened the temples of Abu Simbel and an international UNESCO campaign relocated them between 1964 and 1968. In 1972 UNESCO adopted the World Heritage Convention, and the first twelve sites, including the Galápagos Islands, were listed in 1978. A 2003 convention extended protection to intangible heritage such as music, rituals and crafts.

The idea of shared heritage has been tested by destruction, such as the Taliban's demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan in 2001, and by debates over museum collections taken during colonial rule, like the Benin Bronzes looted by British forces in 1897. Supporters say global heritage encourages protection and tourism, while critics argue it can favour Western ideas of value and override local communities. Heritage debates ask who decides what is worth preserving.