Chapter 04 · People & supply chainsHuman Rights & Social Sustainability

Cultural heritage

Meaning statusEstablishedSource recordDirect document linkedWhy these are different

Definition

Cultural heritage encompasses tangible heritage — monuments, sites and artefacts protected under the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention — and intangible cultural heritage, defined in the 2003 UNESCO Convention as the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities recognise as part of their cultural heritage, transmitted across generations and providing identity and continuity.

References

UNESCOWhat is intangible cultural heritage (2003 Convention, Article 2.1)

intangible heritage definition

Harvard (Whose Culture project)1972 World Heritage Convention context

tangible heritage framework

Overview

What it means

Sustainability's social pillar includes protecting what communities inherit — both places and living traditions — from development impacts.

How it is used

Environmental and social impact assessments screen for cultural heritage (e. g. IFC Performance Standard 8); indigenous and community rights frameworks treat heritage protection as inseparable from land rights.

Why it matters

Infrastructure, mining and climate projects frequently threaten heritage; safeguarding it is a core due-diligence and consent issue, not merely a conservation concern.