UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation

In News 

  • The UNESCO has conferred two awards for conservation efforts at Nizamuddin Basti in the capital for its “outstanding achievement in placing heritage at the heart of the sustainable development agenda.
    • The project has won the prestigious Award of Excellence, and another award in the Special Recognition for Sustainable Development category.

About 

  • The Nizamuddin Area comprises the World Heritage Site of Humayun’s Tomb, the centuries-old settlement of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti and Sunder Nursery, in addition to the 16th Century Batashewala Tomb-Garden Complex, the tomb of 16th Century courtier poet Khan I Khanan ‘Rahim’, and the Mughal-period caravanserai of Azimganj Serai. 

About the award 

  • The award has recognised the efforts of private individuals and organisations in restoring, conserving, and transforming structures and buildings of distinct heritage value in the region since 2000.
  • It encourages other property owners to undertake conservation projects within their communities, either independently or through public-private partnerships.
  • It is supported by the newly established partnership between UNESCO and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation (NTFCF)
    • NTFCF is supporting five Awards cycles from 2021 to 2025, along with a series of specially tailored capacity-building activities amplifying the impact of the Awards programme, especially for youth.
  • In 2020, UNESCO introduced the Special Recognition for Sustainable Development and an updated set of Awards criteria to highlight the contribution of cultural heritage to sustainable development within the broader framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

  • UNESCO was formed in 1945, is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris. 
  • It works for achieving peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter.
  • It has 195 member states and ten associate members. India is a founding member of the Organisation.

Source: IE